We Are Not Like Them
by MischievousHeart
Summary: At the young age of four, Midoriya Izuku learnt that people were not created equally. Finally on his way to become a hero, a short assignment went far beyond control. A mysterious text later he finds himself in the ashes of a city, face to face with a villain named Dragon. It may have shattered his world, but at least someone understood.
1. Seishin Academy

Another clatter. The man pressed himself deeper into the corner of the dark room. His heart rate was elevated to the point his chest felt like bursting any second. Shallow gasps escaped his thin lips.

Another clank.

He pressed his hands to the sides of his head as if he tried to squeeze the brain out of his skull. He whimpered, staring at the broken cups in front of him. Not a single fragment of the expensive chinaware littered the floor. Instead, a deformed clump of white porcelain, sharp edges giving off a soft shine in the moonlight, lay in front of his feet.

"So, it's you."

The man froze. His eyes met a strange figure crouching on the window ledge.

"Breathe. Don't die on me yet. I still have use for you." The man hadn't realized how he held his breath until the figure pointed it out. It sounded like a man, his silhouette reminded of a person, yet at the same time it didn't.

The frightened man wanted to scream but something found its way to his face. Whatever it was, it forced itself into his mouth, down his throat.

"Now listen to me," the figure didn't flinch at the sight of his victim, voice soft and steady, too kind for someone almost joking an innocent man. "Your quirk is out of control and you know it. It's only a matter of time until find out it's you. There is no hope left, unless…"

The figure completely ignored how the petrified man tried to rip whatever was choking him out of his mouth.

"There is something I want you to do. I want you to hit something special to me. That's all I ask for. If you do so, I will grant you your wish. I'm sure your brother would be happy to see you."

Whatever blocked the man's respiratory system was gone in an instant. Gagging and coughing hard he fell face down to the floor. It took an insufferable moment for the man's senses to return. The figure was gone.

He was left with a name whispered into his ear.

Midoriya Izuku knew it existed. Not too long ago, the nicer people told him it was where he belonged. Where those twenty percent of the population he was part of – had _been_ part of – went if they were either lucky or a genius. An unpleasant feeling grew inside of his stomach.

In front of him, an open gate revealed a neatly cobbled path lined with shortly mown grass. Big shiny letters hung from a metal frame above the gate, glistening in the light of the slowly rising sun.

 _Seishin Academy_. A school exclusively for quirkless people. A school with one hell of a reputation to keep up which was exactly the reason they were here. Not any quirkless kid was given the opportunity to attend this institution. Many of the most influential and powerful people in the country graduated from this place. It represented a beacon of hope to those unfortunate enough to not be blessed with a quirk. Graduates were promised a bright future if they were skilful enough to pass the horrendous exams.

One more reason even his mother had suggested he'd apply in case it wouldn't work out with U. A. That was before he had met All Might and inherited One for All though.

Izuku swallowed hard. There was something about this place that made him uncomfortable. He turned to his companions, quietly observing their faces. They looked rather content. Maybe a little excited on Yaoyorozu's part. Izuku was glad they had sent a collected student like her and not a ticking, literal time bomb like Bakugou. One nervous wreck like him meant enough trouble as it was.

"Alright, let's move! No time to lose!" A young man to Izuku's left gave both 1-A students a strong but reassuring tap on their backs. He towered high over their heads, a Pro-Hero named Succult. He came from overseas, South America as far as the boy knew. According to Izuku's research he could pop spikes from under his skin and save fluids inside his body for several weeks. Very much like a succulent, hence the name.

Midoriya Izuku and Yaoyorozu Momo quietly followed their leader onto the campus. Peace filled the area, the silence only broken by birds chirping in the trees lining the cobbled path. It was early enough that no student except for an eager jogger crossed their way. He stared at them as if they were alien. To him, they probably were.

Both students wore everyday clothing, not allowed to have anything on them that would indicate allegiance with U.A. or any kind of hero business. Yaoyorozu wore her hair down, and unusual look for her. Izuku was lucky to look plain enough to not be worried about being recognized. After all, it was an "undercover mission" as Succult had stated, offering a sting covered thumbs up.

"I assume you have been briefed what we're about to do here?"

The students exchanged a quick glance before confirming, "Yes, sir!" Which earned them a soft chuckle.

"No need to be so formal. I may be guardian of this place and you may turn to me with whatever questions you have, but Succult is fine. You can add that -san if you want, that's at least what the other people do. I'm trying to be as open as possible to your Japanese customs."

To their left, a grove nestled between two smaller building complexes. In contrast to the other buildings small balconies lined almost every floor, some decorated with various plants. They looked homey. Izuku could see a group of students enjoying the first rays of sunshine, one wearing a short blue red rimmed sleepshirt, that reminded him of something. Wasn't that… It was subtle, yet… Wasn't that an exclusive All Might…?

"Midoriya, you still with us?" Izuku jerked up. He hadn't realized they had stopped.

"Ugh… Ah, I'm sorry, I-I-"

"It's alright," Succult gave him another pat on the back, "this place can be quite breath-taking. But you'll get used to it." Izuku just rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment. His trademarked red shoes looked quite interesting in these new surroundings.

"As I've said, it remains of utmost importance that you do not, regardless the situation, make any use of your quirks. If anyone finds out that you two have quirks, this mission is over. Done. Do you understand?"

They both nodded. "Yes, Succult-san!"

"I do have a question, though." Yaoyorozu raised her hand as if in class.

"Yes?"

"If this school ground is strictly quirkless, then how are you…?"

"Ah, that question, " Succult clapped his hands before sneaking glances left and right making sure no one was eavesdropping, "quirks maybe not allowed here, but the administration is not ignorant of the world outside. It's easy to assume that this place is more vulnerable to any kind of attack since the kids and teachers don't have any special abilities. Under the pressure of the government and the public the administration has placed several Pro-Heroes on guard duty."

Yaoyorozu dropped her hand and gave an understanding nod. Succult turned his attention from her to both students again. "Now, let us proceed. You will receive your uniforms at the secretariat, you'll be shown your rooms before attending class. You have been sorted in two different classes to cover more ground."

The mission was easy, really. Strange activities had been sighted on school grounds, most likely linked to unauthorized quirk activity. Their task consisted of pretending to be transfer students going through a trial episode of a few days while getting to the bottom of the strange activities. Their work would count as part of their internships.

Over at the secretariat, a stern looking woman in her forties handed each of them a box with whatever they needed for their classes before sending them off to find the dorms with as much as a "good luck" and directions. Succult had long gone back to patrolling the slowly crowding school grounds.

"So, what do you think?" Yaoyorozu asked after a slightly awkward silence.

"Uh- a-about the m-mission?" Really _smooth_ , Deku. Always so smooth with the girls. Yaoyorozu bit her lower lip, visibly uncomfortable with what she was about to say.

"Yes, and no. You know I… I haven't really met any quirkless people. I always knew they were there, but they usually don't openly admit it, so I'm not really sure what to say," she confessed.

"Oh." If only she knew. Having been born quirkless, it never occurred to him to see quirkless people any different. But Yaoyorozu… She must have been surrounded by quirks all her life. Never being confronted with this way of thinking Izuku didn't even know what kind of advice to give.

"Just uh… Be yourself. Act natural. They're not that different," was all he managed. Yaoyorozu looked determined. "You're right. We got this."

 _Yeah. We got this_.

"Alright class, let's welcome our new transfer student." Izuku had never seen a man wearing his moustache more proudly. He tried to ignore the anxiety nibbling on his nerves, wiping the sweat from his palms before making his entrance. Before him he found the most plain looking class one could think of. No horns, no doubled ore unusual body parts, no brightly coloured hair, no random objects levitating, just plain, ordinary faces. Yep, he would fit right in.

"Introduce yourself!" the teacher barked. Even more anxious than before, the boy stuttered, "He-hello everyone, m-my name is Midoriya. Midoriya Izuku! I'm from a High School in the Shizuoka Prefecture. N-N-Nice to meet you…?"

He didn't know what he expected. But certainly two people yawning at the same time while everyone else looked as bored as Kaminari during math lectures.

"Now go to your seat. Tomomo, you're the class president, show the boy around." The teacher pointed to a boy with the most blank expression he had ever seen, one to rival Todoroki's face at the beginning of the school year. With a bored expression lifted his hand to greet Izuku as the boy rushed to the free seat in the second last row.

Izuku desperately hoped for Yaoyorozu to have a better start than him. He would check up on her at lunch. Maybe even write a text during the first break.

Little did he know it would not take them this long to see each other again. They barely made it through half the lesson when the ground started shaking violently and scream echoed through the hallways.


	2. nothing to see here

He was on his feet before he knew it. It took all of Izuku's will power not to storm out of the classroom. He wasn't a hero in training at the moment. Just plain, quirkless Izuku. Nothing more than little _Deku_ being screamed at by Kacchan for being a useless no one who would never achieve anything.

But even useless Deku would run to people's aid. And yet, clenching his fists, he stayed put, waiting for some other student to go first. Too bad his classmates were even less enthusiastic than he'd hoped for. Most of them stayed seated, only a hand full rushing to the door.

"Chill, just another broom. Nothing to see," Tomomo chimed in, pooling the dirt from under his fingernails.

"Dude, there's a _hole_ in the wall!" It was the most excited Izuku had heard any of the students. Enough to bring him to his feet and sprint outside. He followed his new classmates' gazes and found the source of their concern. They weren't underestimating.

A large, man-sized hole revealed clear blue sky. Cracks littered the edges, reaching down half of the hallway. Parts of the floor were also missing as Izuku realized late, since they were filled with some sort of debris. It was an almost spherical lump of rubble firmly pressed together. Judging by the colour and structure it consisted of nothing other than the missing wall and floor parts. What on earth could do such a thing?

Izuku felt a gaze resting on his back. He slowly turned, his eyes meeting Maryrose's two classrooms down the hall. She nodded, igniting a silent conversation. This was what they were looking for. Izuku wanted to give her a sign but a girl, presumably from Yaoyorozu's class, tapped her on the shoulder and started to explain something. At least _she_ did get some explanation. Yaoyorozu responded with a nod, her eyes traveling between Izuku and the girl. They needed to meet. Soon.

"Hey, new kid! Back to class!" Izuku's teacher ordered him back. He threw a last desperate glance at his friend from U.A. who gladly pointed to the clock and then the ceiling, before being dragged back into the classroom.

He waited for almost twenty minutes. It had been relatively easy to slip away as no one seemed particularly interested in him. He had answered the typical questions reaching from "where are you from" to "what's your favourite movie" and "why do you want to attend Seishin?". The last one was a little tricky and he was pretty sure none had bought his story. It might have had to do with the stuttering.

Letting a deep drawn sigh escape he turned around the corner. He just couldn't decide whether to feel uncomfortable or to be relaxed. Part of it might be connected to the fact that so far, he had told them more lives than anything else. It was also weird not hearing the words _hero_ or _quirk_ all morning, even though they had talked a lot during their five-minute breaks. It made part of him feel uneasy, like a big part of his life was just missing here. And yet… At the very same time, he felt relieved. It slowly dawned on him that there was a life beyond heroism, chasing villains, being the best. A life where you could talk about your favourite video game, go to concerts, learn how to ride a horse or read old crime novels. So maybe, just maybe, if he hadn't met All Might and never gotten One for All… Maybe he still had had the chance to become happy here. Living in a world where all the supernatural seemed so far away, almost like it didn't exist.

Suddenly he understood. He understood why there was a place like Seishin. A save haven for the quirkless. And he understood why they so desperately wanted to get to the bottom of a quirk running wild here.

The steps leading up to the roof were deserted despite the nice warm weather. Reaching his destination, Izuku was greeted by a fresh breeze twitching at his hair, his bangs tickling the skin on his front. Just like on the stairs, not a soul could be seen up here. Izuku decided to check the whole place before dropping down on the floor. Then he waited. And waited. Had he misunderstood Yaoyorozu's signs? Didn't she-

Something moved in the corner of his eye. Izuku whirled around, almost falling over. He stared at the building to his left but couldn't make out anything out of the ordinary. Maybe it had been a bird?

"Midoriya?" a familiar voice startled him.

"Ya-yaoyorozu-san! I'm so glad you're here!" he almost cried. The girl offered him an apologetic smile.

"I'm sorry for being late. My class wouldn't let me off the hook." Oh. He really had gotten into the wrong class. "How was your morning?" she wanted to know

"Uh… O-okay, I guess."

Yaoyorozu nodded understandingly. "I know what you mean. Everything here is so different! Please don't tell them, but I almost miss Kaminari-kun or Mina doing stupid dares during class. Although, speaking of them, I think a few weeks in Seishin would do their learning habits some good."

Izuku could only awkwardly giggle at her comment. There was some truth behind her words. He scratched the back of his head, somehow still uncomfortable with the whole situation. Why did they choose him again? Of course, he was supposed to fit in perfectly, but still… There were students with better grades than him. Iida seemed more fit, but his quirk would be difficult to hide. Kacchan… He didn't even have to start. Worst idea ever. Todoroki-kun was also one of the best students in his class, but smuggling in the son of #1 Hero Endeavor… Maybe not. Who else-

"Midoriya-kun, you're mumbling…" Izuku jerked up. He hadn't realized how he went on listing the pros and cons out loud. "I-I'm sorry!"

Yaoyorozu waved aside. "It's okay. Just make sure you don't say anything related to our assignment or quirks in front of the others." That truly could cause a lot of trouble. He needed to get rid of that habit.

"I'm sorry!" he squeaked again before changing the subject, "so, uhm, what do you think about the incident this morning? I didn't get anything out of my classmates..."

The change in Yaoyorozu's expression worried him. "Me neither… It seems they don't want to talk about it. Shikogane-san, our class president, warned me about asking too many questions. They seem to be aware that the source of these incidents must be a quirk, but apparently they hate quirks so yeah..."

"There have been incidents like this one before? How many?" Izuku spoke out.

"I don't know. But none were as large as this one though… A few girls looked really scared although they tried to play it down. Chances are high, the next one could become even bigger." Which meant also more dangerous. What if the next time not just a part of the building, but a person… The thought sent a shiver down Izuku's spine. He didn't want to think about it.

"But what quirk could do such a thing? It looked as if part of the wall and area surrounding it have been compressed into a ball. What kind of external force would do that? You would need a lot of strength to do that with bare hands. Also, I have no clue how he managed to rip the wall apart and form the ball, considering all this must have happened in the blink of an eye…" Izuku flinched as he realized he had mumbled again. To his surprise, Yaoyorozu didn't interrupt him this time. Her brows were knitted together, displaying high concentration on her features. It took her a few moments, but she seemed to follow his trail of words.

"What If it was an internal force? Something strong enough to suck in everything in a specific radius?" She suggested. A sudden flash of thought. Izuku clapped his hands in excitement.

"Kinda like a black hole? Something like a weaker version of Thirteen-sensei's quirk!" he exclaimed and wished he had taken his hero notebooks with him. Although, it would not be very beneficial to their mission if anyone saw them. Leaving them behind was the right thing to do.

"Hm... But wouldn't a black hole suck in the matter completely?" Yaoyorozu had a point. "We need more evidence," she continued, "and I have an idea." She smiled at him confidently. "Did you see all the security cameras? They have one in each hallway and the cafeteria, not in the classrooms though. We should also check the dorms."

"A-are you serious?!" What kind of school was this? Who would do such a thing? Not even U.A. had installed that many cameras and their security was supposed to be one of the best.

"Seishin doesn't leave much freedom to their students… Shikogane-san also told me they have to register the exact time they leave the campus and when they return."

It sounded more like a prison than a school. Just what on earth was going on down here?

Izuku lifted his head. They were on the roof of the second highest building on the campus. The view was fantastic, one walk along the railing allowed one to oversee most of the school grounds. There was only one place offering an even better view: the two stories higher building to their left. If he remembered correctly, his last two classes were held over there. He needed to check that place out.

"Midoriya, I think we should head back to our classes. Half of lunch break is already over, and I don't think it's healthy to draw even more attention to us."

"Yes, yes, right. We should head back. We should probably also stay with our classes for a while… Let's uh, meet around eight, maybe?" It feels weird asking a girl to meet up. Not that he was interested in her, but talking to any girl still felt surreal to him. Except for Uraraka. It was a lot easier to talk to her. Not easy per say, but easier.

They agreed to meet at the small grove in front of the dorms, telling their roommates they would take a stroll to explore the school grounds some more.

The young man kicked the door open. Two guards came rushing towards him from both sides. He didn't spare them a glance. Black matter erupted from his back, darting across the room, wrapping in whoever dared to move.

"Do you think I'm your freaking lapdog?" He strolled across the room, chin up as if he owned the place. Less than three steps away from the desk at the back he came to a halt. Another guard reached for his gun, but the man behind the desk raised his hand, signalling him to stop.

"Well, well, if it isn't our little spider. How may I help you, young boy?"

"Quit the game, old man," the intruder hissed, "this is a two-way deal."

"Oh, it certainly is. You may not realize it, but you're closer to your goal than ever before."

"You son of a-!" Stifling air hit the young man's face, threatening to burn of his skin if it turned any hotter. He took a few hasty steps back, almost tripping over his own feet. "So, they don't call you the dragon for nothing."

The man at the desk chuckled, finally lifting his head. He had to be in his forties. His dark, unruly hair was kept short, his eyes were just a tad too big considering his reputation and the dark, piercing gaze he sent towards the young man he called little spider.

"Don't rush it, little spider, everything is going according to plan. Give it a few more weeks and your target will be handed to you on a silver plate. I'm more worried about my end of the deal, to be honest. Any progress with the Koukei kid?"

The little spider clicked his tongue angrily. "Not yet. And it's _Neo Kumo_ to you, Bastard."

"As you wish, _Neo Kumo_." There was so much sarcasm in the dragon's voice, the young man called Neo Kumo would have snapped his neck. But he knew better. Just a few weeks and he could set free all that anger he had been harvesting over the past six years. He deactivated his quirk turning on his heels before storming out of the room. As soon as the door shut behind his back, the last remnants of the black matter disappeared, freeing the guards.

The dragon needed that spider boy's full trust. Otherwise he could become dangerous.

"Behind that building is the gym. The one with the large windows. Any questions?" Izuku shook his head. Not because he didn't have any questions, he had a lot, but the other boy's tone didn't leave room for any. Izuku wanted nothing more than a little time to himself right now.

"Good. Those two buildings in front of us are the dorms. We're in the one on the right."

"Th-thanks, Tomomo-san."

"Right, whatever. See you tomorrow." The class president quickened his pace, leaving an unsettled Izuku behind. Something was off with this boy.

The hero in training grabbed his phone from his backpack, letting Yaoyorozu know that his classes were over and where his room at the dorms was. He stared at the screen absentmindedly, waiting for an answer that didn't come. He almost jumped as someone poked his shoulder. Wide eyed he stared at another student that seemed vaguely familiar, but he didn't remember seeing her in his class.

"Sorry- you, uhm, you should probably take that off. For the duration of your stay, I mean." Confused, he followed the direction she pointed at. There, dangling peacefully from his phone, was his precious All Might keychain. Ohmygod. The people here hated heroes-

"It's fine, I won't tell anyone. Just be careful next time." The girl smiled and waved before leaving a perplexed Izuku behind.

"Stop playing."

How? How had the figure found him in broad daylight? The man shivered, being overcome with nausea. His brain hurt. Why? Why?! WHY?!

At the last second, he managed to cast his glasses away before causing an even greater disaster. A crackling sound could be heard. He stared at the newly created sculpture of glass and metal that made up his glasses only seconds before.

A door creaked. Instinctively he kicked the remnants under the table. One of his co-workers entered.

"Ah, there you are, we've been looking for you!" the teacher exclaimed, shortly followed by, "what happened to your glasses?"

He forced a weak grin. "Oh, I must have misplaced them somewhere."


	3. Nimura's wasabi crisps

" _Where_ were you?" the woman snapped at him. She already knew. Neo Kumo shrugged, brushing some dark purple hair out of his face. It was getting harder and harder putting up with her. Still, judging by her reaction, he was getting closer. At the thought of the end finally coming in sight a grin took over his features.

Bony fingers bore themselves into his arms, but he simply ignored the pain as the woman whirled him around.

" _What do you think you're doing_?"

His grin only widened.

The woman knew she had made a mistake, one that had screwed up her son for good. There was only one thing left for her to do.

Flaming red clouds drifted above the city, setting the whole sky on fire. As always, the roof of the highest building on school grounds was almost empty. Almost. Joined in a relaxing silence, two girls sat at the west end. While one's face was illuminated by her phone screen as she browsed through a compilation of the most recent cat memes, the other embraced the view, admiring the sunset with an occasional glance at the school grounds below them. Her feet dangled loosely over the edge. The absence of a fence was basically an invitation. Shaking the thoughts out of her head she turned to her friend who had poked her in the shoulder.

"Look at that! It's so cute ohmygoshIwantahundredofthem! No, make it two!" The little kitten was indeed adorable with the tiny blue top hat on its head.

"Once we graduate," the girl with the memes resumed, "we're gonna get a big apartment so we can adopt at least twelve cats! And a dog. A cute little doggo. Maybe two, so he won't feel alone. What do you think of hamsters? Or snakes? Maybe we could-"

A loud screech startled the girls. The door to the stairways was opened in an extremely slow manner. A dark, bushy head poked out, taking in the surroundings with a strained look on the face. As soon as the boy caught sight of them, his face paled. The girls exchanged a questioning look. A customer?

Izuku immediately scolded himself for presuming to find the roof empty. Now two Seishin girls were staring at him as if he was some kind of weirdo, which, to be fair, he probably was.

One was eyeing him with interest, her whole being radiating with cunning. She was tall, her had a pointed face with up drawn eyebrows. After a few seconds of observation her eyes lit up, accompanied by a sly smile. She stood, strolling in his direction. Oh my god, where was Yaoyorozu? He had written her about two minutes ago that he went checking out the roof, asking her to join him.

The tall girl closed in on him. "Well, well, what do we have here? I haven't seen you around. One of the fledglings, I presume? Oh my, what are the odds of you showing up on your first day?"

"Neko!" the second girl cried, still sitting far too close to the edge and _oh my god_ , why was there _no fence-_

"What? He might be a fledgling, but he looks like he needs something," the tall one turned back to Izuku, "and let me tell you, whatever it is, Neko and Hikari will get it for you!"

"Don't drag me into this!" The other girl protested, now joining the rather involuntary get-together. How did Izuku always end up in such awkward situations?

The first girl spoke up again, blatantly ignoring the other, "What could it be? A banned magazine? Your favourite snack? A bottle of prohibited alcoholic substance? You name it, we get it for you. For an appropriate price, of course."

Izuku wanted to disappear. What had he gotten into now? Some kind of secret, very illegal sounding student black market? _On his first day?_

"Neko, that's enough." An arm appeared before him. "Just let him breathe, okay?"

Throwing a displeased look at Izuku, the first girl muttered a _fine_ before folding her arms. More or less content, the other one dropped the arm she had protectively raised in front of Izuku. She turned to face him and apologized, "I'm really sorry for her behaviour. She can be very… Enthusiastic about her business. My name is Shikogane Hikari, that's Amatsuki Nekoya. People call her Neko. You're Midoryia Izuku, right? Momo-chan mentioned your name."

Izuku tried to ignore the fact that the girl just called whatever they were doing her business. Instead, he focused on finding his voice. "Ye-yes, that is me. I'm Midoryia Izuku. It-it's nice t-to meet you!"

The polite girl Shikogane responded to his bow by copying the gesture while her friend, so called Neko, simply continued to stare down Izuku. He gulped. That one was scary, not someone he wanted to get on the wrong side with.

"You see," Shikogane started explaining, "this is a very strict school. There are lots of rules, some extremely absurd. My friend Neko here found her calling by dealing with this situation. As you may have guessed, she can get stuff in and out of school grounds. Lots of stuff. Anything really."

"You bet," Neko threw in, proudly rubbing her hands. She earned a dark look from Shikogane, who continued, "Anyway, as I was saying… We didn't mean to startle you. But I have to ask you to keep quiet about this, even after leaving the school grounds. Can you do that?"

Izuku, still overwhelmed by the whole encounter, found it difficult to answer. So, he nodded. He definitely had something to discuss with Yaoyorozu now. Speaking of, didn't Shikogane mention her before?

"Very well, and thank you. I guess you can leave now, if that's what you wish." Izuku didn't miss Neko's implication. And he was more than ready to follow it. Quickly turning on his heels he took the few steps towards the door before abruptly coming to halt. An idea spiked in his head.

"What exactly are your conditions?" he requested, turning back to face them.

"Depends on the job," Neko was more than happy to respond. It took all of Izuku's power not to falter as he requested, "Can you get the feed of one specific security camera?"

Neko grinned. "Nothing easier than that."

Izuku wasn't sure if this encounter had been the best or worst thing happening to him today. Nightfall had come and the two girls in front of him were still arguing about who would bring him to someone they thought could help him. From what he heard, neither of them was very eager to meet the mentioned guy.

"I'm gonna get you the newest issue. Tomorrow morning. Deal?" With that proposition, the argument came to a close. Shikogane huffed, before agreeing under the condition that he would never help her friend again. Izuku couldn't shake the feeling that both girls knew that wasn't true. Yet he thought it to be wise to just quietly remain in his spot. He was used to butt head first into other people's business, but not this time. He doubted he'd ever return to Seishin after this week, given he now had his provisional license and it wouldn't take too long before the first official pictures of soon-to-be hero Deku showed up on one of these U.A. fan sites. They were already littered with pictures of Todoroki-kun, snapped during the internship in his father's agency.

He wordlessly followed Shikogane down the stairs, sending a text to Yaoyorozu that he would be late and that he probably had found something that might help them.

They left the building, moving towards the dorms. The silence was thick, looming over them, given the rather awkward circumstances of their first encounter. Finally, Shikogane attempted to break the pondering silence. "You know Momo-chan from before, don't you?"

Right. She knew Yaoyorozu somehow. They were probably in the same class.

"Y-yeah… We uh, we went to the same school," Izuku explained clumsily.

"You have to be very smart then. Momo-chan is amazing. She is so intelligent and seems to know everything about, well, everything."

Remembering it was her coaching that brought Kaminari and Ashido through the mid-term exams, he had to agree. "She is…"

"Quite the chance you two are getting."

"I-It is really more luck than anything! I mean, Yaoyorozu-san deserves it..."

"Aw, come on. This is one of the hardest schools in all of Japan to get in to! Don't sell yourself short, you both must me BAMFs to get this far!"

If only she knew. Izuku wouldn't be here if it wasn't for his classmate's very distinctive quirks. He wouldn't be second choice, or third. Not even forth. He grimaced at the thought.

"Ah, I see."

Her tone startled Izuku. As he looked up, he found her staring at the darkening sky above them, a distant look in her golden eyes. "You know, I understand." Even with her chin turned up, there was something melancholic in her posture. She continued, "You have a severe lack of self-confidence. Believe it or not, I know how it feels."

She glanced at him, a sad smile on her lips, before looking back up. "It's like... You _know_ you are at a very important place. People keep telling you that you did good, that it's a privilege you got yourself. But you, personally, don't feel that way. You feel like you lack the… _qualities_ to be here. You know you're not stupid. You know you're not too bad at many things, but you're also not good at them either. There are always people better than you. No matter what you do and how hard you try, they come and take whatever pride you were building up away from you. In the end, you're just trying to keep afloat, trying not to drown in those waves of expectations everyone keeps sending towards you."

Izuku gawped. He let her words sink in slowly.

He thought about all the pressure he was under as aspiring hero, heir to One for All, All Might's successor, his predestined fight against All for One he was expected to be victorious of. He thought of the people counting on him. He thought of the low percentage of his quirk he could make use of, how he still had so less control over it. He was so far behind his classmates. He trained harder than anyone else and yet… So far behind.

Shikogane was right. He felt like drowning in expectations, he felt as if he wasn't good enough, sometimes, when he was alone, he felt lost and it became harder and harder to see the light at the end of the tunnel… Sometimes, in his dreams, he was back under that bridge with the Sludge Villain. But this time, All Might wasn't there to save him. He woke drenched in cold sweat, still feeling the agonizing pain of the sludge pressing the life out of his body in order to overtake it. But ever more often, the dream changed. No sludge villain. Instead, a hundred hands came out of the dark, grabbing on to him, holding him back, drawing him in, he tried to run, to scream, to break free, to no avail. They dragged him back into the darkness until he could see nothing but eternal blackness. Nothing until glowing red eyes, half hidden under a severed hand, pierced through him. Shigaraki scratched his neck, laughing hysterically, before lifting his hand, long fingers slowly approaching Izuku. He felt their cold touch, his skin slowly crumbling away, unbearable pain rushing through his body-

"…ryia-kun? Midoryia-kun, are you alright? You look pale."

Izuku snapped out of his thoughts. His mouth felt dry, it made him unable to speak. He gulped and took a few breaths before he was ready to say, "S-sorry. I zoned out."

"No shit. Are you alright? Should I take you to the med-"

"NO!" It came out as a shriek. He winced. "No, I'm fine, it's fine. Just some unpleasant memories."

"Oh." Shikogane looked worried. Izuku realized how they had stopped.

"I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable. I'm so sorry, Midoryia-kun."

"N-no, i-it's really fine! I guess you're right. I guess I do feel that way."

Shikogane lifter her hand to hover above his shoulder, then quickly drew it back. She looked unsure of what to do, eyes clearly averting his gaze, trying to find the right words. Seeing how she was just as clumsy as him dealing with the situation at hand, made him feel a lot less stressed out. He decided - for both of their sakes - to ignore her almost-gesture and proposed, "Should we go ahead?"

"Yes! Yes. Go head. Yes, let's go." She seemed just as relieved as him to close that topic. They walked the rest of the way in silence.

Izuku thought his first day would finally end after his meeting with Yaoyorozu. Of course, it didn't exactly go as planned. It was past eight and he didn't even get the chance to see her.

Shikogane walked right in the front door of the boy's dorms, not caring one bit that it was strictly forbidden. None of the boys in there seem to care either. A student from Izuku's class passed them, greeting them with a nod before walking by.

Okay, so this was probably not an isolated case. They seemed to be used to the girl walking in like she owned the place. Shikogane quickly turned left and led him up to the third floor, going straight and then turning right twice. Izuku was completely lost. He had no idea how to find his room from here, despite being inside the right dorm.

Coming to a halt in front of a room numbered 3.14 she knocked twice, waited for three seconds before knocking again. A signal maybe.

"Neko?" came a low voice. Shikogane took a deep breath. She didn't look very happy to be here.

"No," she announced, "it's Hikari. I have a customer. May we come in?"

Izuku heard something buzz, or rather a few things. Then the voice came again, "It's unlocked. Come in."

Shikogane turned to Izuku. Brows furrowed she hissed, "Don't touch anything. Don't say anything. Just- don't do anything. Don't leave my side."

As she opened the door, the smell of burnt cables hit him. The lights were out, and yet the room was illuminated by a thousand small, coloured lights blinking literally everywhere. He was in such awe that Shikogane had to grab him by the sleeve and drag him in before closing the door behind their backs.

The room in front of them was full to the last inch, full of electronic devices, wires, cables, displays, Izuku had no idea where to look. He almost stepped on a few batteries. Even the floor was littered with stuff, only one path as wide as his foot clear.

Fingers tapping against a screen caught his attention. He found a boy, maybe a little older than him, sitting in an office chair. His face was rounder than any Izuku had ever seen, suiting his overall ball-shaped body. There was no way of putting it nicely. The U.A. student had never seen such a big teenager in real life. The pile of empty potato chips bags to his right didn't come as a surprise.

The boy rubbed his short, beefy hands, a grin on his face. "So," he began, "how may I help you."

Izuku didn't like this. He didn't like it one bit. Something about this boy was off, maybe the mischievous glint in his eyes, maybe the way he stared at Shikogane… Oh. Now he understood why the girls were not at all eager to meet the boy.

Pulling at her skirt in a vast attempt to cover more of her legs, Shikogane informed the round boy, "Yotsune. We need the feed of one of the security cameras. How much will it be?"

Stroking his inexistent beard, Yotsune fixed his gaze on Izuku, eyeballing him with interest.

Izuku didn't like this. He wanted to leave. Now.

"Twelve bags of Nimura's new crisps, wasabi flavoured, brought to me over the past two weeks."

To say he was surprised was an understatement. Perplexed, Izuku blinked at the guy. Whatever he expected as payment, it wasn't wasabi crisps. Although, looking at the guy… Maybe not so surprising at all.

Shikogane turned to Izuku. "You alright with this?"

Izuku blinked again in confusion. That was all? He slowly nodded. This secret was worth twelve bags of potato chips.

Yotsune beamed. He clapped his hand. "The deal is sealed! Tell me where and when and you'll get your feed by tomorrow morning."

Tomorrow? He did not want to return tomorrow. But he needed to.

The night was quiet. No stray students roamed the hallways, or were at least smart enough not to be caught in the act. The man didn't even consider going back to his room yet. Sleep wouldn't come for him any time soon. He roamed through the staff-only corridor connecting the teacher's lounge with all the individual offices. The steady dragging of his feet echoed through the corridor, seemingly awakening every single individual in the building. He continued anyway, knowing it was false. No one spent his night willingly in the school building. If anything, he'd be deemed a ghost.

How did it come to this? All these years he had been careful. All these years, nothing happened. So why now?

The man let out a soft whimper. How long until he'd lose control again? How long until that other man, that… that _villain_ forced him to attack again?

He traced the frames of the photographs lining the walls. He couldn't identify anything on them aside from the moonlight reflected by the glass. Yet he knew every single one of them. He passed this hallway so many times every day, and that since he got his first job here. Which was his first job in general, right after graduating.

The absence of his glasses was infuriating. Every other minute, he tried to push it up the bridge of his nose, only to find it missing. The thought made him boil up, heated his insides, made him-

Oh no. Not now.

He clutched his chest. It wasn't the missing glassed that made him feel frustrated. He was about to lose control again. His breathing hatched, his trembling hands pressed to the wall in a desperate attempt to hold him upright. He was alone, in the middle of the night, nothing serious could happen, it would be fine, it would be-

"Dainigai-san? What are you doing here? Are… Are you alight?"

No, no, no, no, no! This couldn't be happening, not now! The beam of a flashlight hit him in the face. For the split of a second it startled him, then he heard it. The scream.

The flashlight hit the floor, immediately breaking upon impact. It was night again. Quiet.


	4. involuntary team-up

Momo considered herself to be a good sleeper. And yet, she didn't feel rested at all. As the model student she was, she had finished homework right after class before dinner. It gave her some more free time later, to settle in and get to know the place and the people. So far Seishin looked like an ordinary private school, strict but supportive of their students. She felt almost demoted back to her time before U.A. Minus the whole quirk-thing.

So, her morning began like any other. She got dressed, packed her school stuff and went down to grab some breakfast, when - of course, how could she even expect this to be an ordinary morning? - the rumours spread.

"It's terrible," Momo heard a girl whisper as she passed a small group. Another one answered, "I really like Ashi-sensei. I hope she'll be fine."

Not wanting to look suspicious, she quickened her pace. Something was going down. Reaching the kitchen assigned to the first two stories, she searched the room, without success.

"Momo-chan!" someone called her. Momo found the source sitting at the table, slurping a smoothie. It was their class president. The girl eagerly patted on the chair to her right.

"Good morning! I suppose you want to know what going on?"

"Good morning, Neko-san," Momo greeted her class president. She didn't like her attitude all that much. Calling each other by their first names from day one was not Momo's thing... But she had to play along for the week.

"If it isn't too much trouble…"

"Of course not!" Neko beamed, her eyes glinting in an unsettling manner. "Hikari's already out, so she asked me to take care of you. Since it's her request, I'll even do it for free."

Momo ignored the implication. That girl would make a splendid villain. "That's… Very nice of you."

"Yes, I am a nice girl," agreed Neko, "now, behold. Got it from the most trusting source on the campus! There was another incident last night. But this time, people were involved. A teacher, Ashi-sensei, you don't know her since we only had her last semester, was gravely injured."

So, it had happened. Momo had feared it since hearing of the incidents for the first time. "Is she…?"

"She lost a leg. Ripped off from above the knee. Really gross."

Momo took in a sharp breath. She suddenly felt nauseous. Definitely no breakfast today.

"But the doctors say she's gonna make it," Neko went on, "lost a lot of blood, but a teacher found her not too soon after. He fell asleep in his office and was woken by her scream."

 _Breath, Momo, breath_. She needed to get that image out of her head. She needed a moment to steady herself before asking, "What's the name of this other teacher?"

Neko scratched her chin. "Ah, I forgot. We don't have him either. Ask Hikari after class, I'm sure she'll remember. Why do you want to know?"

"Ah, just curious." Momo couldn't afford a slip-up.

It was still early in the morning, the sun wasn't up yet. Hikari rushed out of the dorm. The faster this was over, the happier she would be. Taking two steps at once she climbed up the stairs of the boys' dorm. Throwing a last glance over her shoulder, she entered. She tiptoed up to the third floor, taking the same turns as last night. She knocked.

It took a moment before the familiar buzzing started. The girl didn't wait for Yotsune's invitation before storming into the room, as far as it was possible.

"And?"

"Good morning to you too, Hikari-chan." Yotsune was wrapped in at least three different blankets, sitting in the same position as yesterday. Had he even moved? Or did he sleep in this position? She wasn't sure if she wanted to know.

Clearing her throat, she apologized, "Sorry. Morning. Rough night."

"Rough night? It's about to get a lot rougher, believe me."

Hikari eyed him suspiciously. "You mean the ambulances and police cars outside?"

"Not only that," the boy beckoned her to him. She followed reluctantly.

"Seems like our transfer students have a few secrets of their own. They didn't even chance their names. What a shame, really. And there you'd think U.A. is specialized in that sort of thing."

Izuku was so close to saying it.

"And that is why quirks should be forbidden!" one of his classmates proclaimed loudly, earning a lot of approval from the rest of the lunch table. Izuku just stared at his lunch. _I hate my life_. There, he said it. Not always, of course, but right now he sure did. He had also suffered from the consequences of being quirkless, he had gone through the bullying and what not… But it never appeared to him to hatequirks. To hate everyone possessing a quirk. He continued to love them, to aspire being a hero, to apply for U.A.

"You know what? Bet that Stain-guy wasn't wrong. All those heroes, there just here to make profit."

Izuku couldn't believe his ears. So did another kid.

"Dude, you can't just say that! You know that video is forbidden!"

"Don't pretend you haven't seen it!"

He couldn't take it anymore. He understood where Stain came from, but _this_? He was a hero, he just couldn't let them talk about what he admired the most like this. And he was about to the most stupid thing he could do in that situation.

Lucky for him, he never got to do it.

Someone poked him in the shoulder. Izuku jerked up. He stared at a familiar face. "Ya-yaoyorozu-san!"

"Hello, Midoriya-kun. Do you have a minute?"

"O-of course! He stumbled to his feet, happy beyond word. He couldn't bear to listen to his classmates any longer.

After instructing him to grab his lunch, Momo lead him through the cafeteria to a table in the corner, almost fully hidden by an arrangement of plants. He wasn't particularly surprised to find Shikogane and Yotsune already sitting there. He didn't expect the analytical look they both sent him though.

After Izuku was seated, Yotsune held up an USB drive. "The feed you requested. A total waste of time, if you ask me. There's nothing on there. You can see that little implosion or whatever it is, but no one's in that freaking hallway. I even checked the floors above and below, nothing, not one stray student."

Keeping up her facade, Momo still accepted the drive. They would check it themselves later.

"But," Yotsune caught their attention again, "I'm not done. Wouldn't move myself down here for that. You see… Ashi-sensei was always nice to me. She's my favourite teacher. And after seeing that implosion and imagining what might have happened to her… I decided to help you."

Izuku and Momo exchanged a surprised look.

"You really think I wouldn't know why you wanted that feed? I didn't get into Seishin by being an idiot. That much you two should know. And I still want those wasabi crisps."

"You'll get them," Momo agreed quickly. Obviously, she had been briefed on what happened last night. She turned to Shikogane. "What about you?"

"Well… Since I'm supposed to watch over you… Technically, it's Neko's job, but she's too busy. Anyway, it's not like I can back out of it anymore after knowing all this, can I?"

Izuku felt a little more positive about the whole situation. While he still was weary of Yotsune and didn't like involving strangers - if that guy really had such great hacking skills, how much could he find out about _them_? - they now had people who knew the place, how it worked and all. It tremendously increased their chance for success.

"I guess this means we can talk freely now," Momo started, "Midoriya-kun and I think those incidents were caused by a quirk-"

Yotsune silenced her with his raised hand. "Yeah, we figured as much. We also figured, that-" He suddenly winced, losing the thread for a few seconds before carrying on, "eh... We, we figured, that… That the quirk, yes, the quirk, must be controlled remotely. The user doesn't have to see his targets. But we have no clue how big his range is."

"It could be anyone," Izuku mused, "we don't even know where to start…" Unless… Unless this teacher, Ashi-sensei, it was? Unless she had been the _desired_ target. Then again, whoever attacked her could have killed her if he wanted to. Maybe he just meant to scare her. Scare her by almost killing her? No, that didn't sound right. Maybe he didn't have enough control over his quirk to hit her where he wanted, which could also mean, that he didn't intend to hit her, that she only got hit by accident which would make this a horrible, horrible-

"Mi-midoriya-kun…" Momo's voice brought him back to reality. Izuku stopped. He had mumbled again, hadn't he?

"Wow," was the flat comment he earned from Shikogane, "that was both scary and amazing."

He blushed hard in embarrassment. "A-anyway, w-where were we?"

"You have a point, though. We need to narrow it down, somehow," Momo suggested. The others nodded.

"I say we start with the teachers, there are only about 30 of them. Give me a few hours and I'll have every single spot of dirt on them. If freckles here is right, we'll know who might have something against Ashi-sensei", Yotsune proclaimed proudly. Had he just called Izuku _freckles_?

"And we'll know if any of them were suspected of having a quirk," Shikogane added. "You'll be ready at nine?"

Yotsune winked. "For you at eight."

Shikogane dismissed Yotsune's comment with a grimace. It was set. For the lack of a better idea, they had to wait.

This couldn't be happening. At this rate, he wouldn't survive this week. Heck, he wouldn't survive half of it. Izuku sat on the couch of the common room, head ducked between his shoulders, making himself as small as possible. His phone lay a foot away on the ground, screen blacked out. Pearls of sweat started forming on his forehead. He needed to find a way out.

In front of him, class president Tomomo stood, staring him down with the most despising glare he could manage. Izuku gulped.

"You have no place here," the other boy snarled, kicking the phone between Izuku' s feet.

He just meant to check his phone for messages, Uraraka and Iida sent him plenty, he even got one from Todoroki and the spam from their 1-A group chat, when a note from the Hero Network app popped up. Not considering the consequences he innocently opened the new article, just as Tomomo happened to pass by. And of course, the quirk-hating class president had to pry. Before Izuku even realized he was there, Tomomo had knocked the phone out of his hands.

"You know what? I despise people like you, people who still, after everything-"

Someone sneezed loudly. Irritation let Tomomo stop involuntarily.

"Everything… P-people like us, who had to go through all that hardship, you should understand th-"

Another sneeze.

"UNDERSTAND that-"

And another.

Tomomo whirled around, facing a sniffing Yotsune seated at the table behind the couch, typing whatever he might be typing.

"Do you have anything to say, fatty?!"

Yotsune didn't stop typing. "Who, me? Not at all. Quite dusty in here. My allergies don't approve of this."

Did… Did Yotsune just save him? Maybe he wasn't as bad as Izuku thought.

"Who do you think you are, fatso?" Tomomo turned to the other boy. Izuku considered slipping away. They probably wouldn't notice. Yet, he didn't want to find out about the consequences if they did. So he stayed put.

"I have to admit, it's quite astonishing, "Yotsune went on, unwrapping his candy, "do you think your parents would approve of you saying these things? "

For a moment, Izuku wished he could see Tomomo's face. Because the boy immediately froze as Yotsune mentioned his parents. A thick silence fell over them. All the other students who had curiously observed the incident, resumed their previous conversations. For a few painful seconds, Izuku wanted to activate One for All and jump out of the window. Then, finally, Tomomo moved. He left without a word. Baffled, Izuku watched him before turning his attention to Yotsune. The Seishin student didn't look at him, he continued his rhythmic typing not offering any sort of explanation. Izuku was about to ask him, when the phone between his feet started buzzing. Right. He almost forgot about that.

Unlocking the screen, he found he had been added to a group chat. One of the members was Yaoyorozu. He didn't recognize the other two numbers, but it didn't take a genius to figure who they belonged to.

 **Francis  
** _Yo_

 **Francis**  
 _Freckles almost got his ass handed by tomomo_

 **Not Neko  
** _It's not nice to call people names_

 **Not Neko  
** _why are you called Francis_

 **Not Neko  
**?

 **Francis  
** _thats my phones name o(^_ _^)o_

 **Francis  
** _why not neko?_

 **Not Neko**  
 _ok tell me you found something or I'm disbanding this chat_

 **Not Neko**  
 _"Francis"_

 **Not Neko**  
 _This is Hikari btw_

As if it wasn't bad enough being in one group chat. How did other people even manage this amount of social life? Izuku quickly saved the two contacts before throwing a glance at Yotsune. He still sat at the table, staring at the screen of his laptop.

Another message popped up, this time it was a private text from Yaoyorozu. Izuku had to reassure her that nothing happened with Tomomo and he didn't accidently slip up or anything. Then the group chat came to life again

 **Francis**  
 _(˘̩_ _˘̩)_

 **Francis**  
 _I got something  
heres a list w/ all the teachers on spec for quirk possession_

A file was attached to the text. Opening the document, a list of all teachers, the hero in training found himself surprised. Eleven out of thirty-three names were highlighted. One third was a little much for a school which took so much pride in being quirk-free.  
Another text came in.

 **Momo**  
 _This is Yaoyorozu Momo. We got the list. Any ideas on how we can verify their alibies for last night?_

 **Francis  
** _Clever idea if we rule out the teachs we only got abt 1k students left_

 **Not Neko  
** _1\. Wow got any better ideas? I'm waiting  
2\. You can cross half of the names off that list_

 **Francis  
** _( •_ _ิ_ __ •_ _ิ_ _)?_

 **Not Neko  
** _Finally an emoji that looks like you_

 **Not Neko  
** _Let's just say Neko knows things and I know Neko so I know things  
Some of her customers are not students_

 **Not Neko  
** _& yes there are ppl with quirks here_

Izuku gasped audibly. He shyly peered over his shoulder, making sure no one attempted to look at his phone again. Why would anyone possessing a quirk want to attend Seishin? The longer he was here, the less the world made sense to him.

He had to do it himself. He couldn't count on anyone.  
It was only a matter of time until the police had his inside-man, now that this stupid son of a bitch had hurt another teacher.

Neo Kumo hissed as he touched the burn mark on his cheek. In a fair fight, Dragon didn't stand a chance against him. If it wasn't for that shitty lackey with the darkness quirk, he would have ended him.

Now he had to wait. He couldn't get into Seishin on his own. But if he waited just long enough, his target might come out on his own. It was time to end this. Time to get what _he_ was after.


	5. change of plans

It felt so incredibly good to engage in physical activities. Izuku missed his morning jogs. He didn't feel save enough to go out on the campus, so his activities were limited to stretches and muscle strengthening exercises he could do in his room. His body longed for movement, he feared his muscles were already deteriorating.

In a far better mood than ever since he got into Seishin, he kept up with the other students with ease, holding himself back just enough to not stand out. After taking a five-minute run, they went on stretching before doing push-ups, crunches and quite a few other exercises.

Seishin Academy had some very generous donors. They may not have had whole cities as training grounds like U.A. did, still, their gym was impressive. It was big enough to house multiple classes at the same time. A big hall that could be separated by extendable walls.

Wiping the sweat off his front, Izuku strode over to where his bottle of water lay. The teacher gave them three minutes to drink and decide what game to play.

"Midoriya-kun?" a familiar voice called out. The addressed turned to find Shikogane approaching him. He looked at the direction she came from, finding Yaoyorozu standing with her class. The girl waved, seemingly as content as him to finally get some physical training.

"I talked to your homeroom teacher," his attention was drawn back to the Seishin student in front of him, "he had also noted that you and Tomomo don't uhm… comply very well. Since you and Momo came from the same school, they allowed me to look out for the both of you. So, should you have any questions, you are welcome to ask for my help instead. And," her voice became low, "it won't look as suspicious anymore if the four of us hang out."

Izuku nodded, happy he no longer had to deal with Tomomo. All the same, he remained curious about what had made the boy so hateful of quirks.

"Well, that's it. See you after class!" Shikogane gave a two-finger-salute before sprinting off.

"Ah, wait!" Izuku called her back. She paused, giving him an irritated look.

"I, uhm… I just wanted to say thank you. For that advice with the keychain. I never got to thank you." Not until last night he realized that the girl who warned him about bringing out his All Might merch on his first day had been Shikogane. She offered him a friendly smile.

"No problem." Izuku watched her return to her own class where Yaoyorozu waved at him again before following her class to whatever they were off to.

He wondered where he could have gotten a long sports uniform shirt like Shikogane. It would have helped covering not only the tiny but many scars he earned from hero training, but also his far too distinct muscles for the quiet underdog he appeared to be.

"That. Was. Wonderful!" Yaoyorozu exclaimed as he joined her and an irritated Shikogane outside the gym. Izuku agreed, casually mentioning they did more physical activities in the High School they came from. Or at least he tried to sound casual. Shikogane raised a brow, not questioning them any further.

"And," Yaoyorozu took the lead, "what are we going to do next?" They walked outside, thoughtful enough to stay out of hearing range. Anyone overhearing their conversation was the last thing they needed.

"Yotsune and I talked it out last night, we came up with a plan. Any input is welcome," Shikogane explained. Izuku and Yaoyorozu shared a knowing glance. If the Seishin students talked in private, there was a high chance they knew more than they were letting on. But why would they withhold information? To be fair, the U.A. students had secrets of their own.

"We'll be taking on the teachers one by one. There's a high chance they're already expecting you two to show up at some point. Since you're new and all. You, Momo, could go to our literature and physics teachers. Midoriya, your PE as well as your Biology teacher are on that list, too. You've never met the others, that's why Yotsune and I will take them on."

Sounded easy enough. If no one accounted for the social anxiety and lack of confidence Izuku dealt with at the moment. But he had to do this. Somehow, he would get through this hellish week.

They debated over which questions to ask to get the necessary information, when Yaoyorozu finally changed the subject, asking about something that was troubling both her and Izuku since the start of their group chat, "There is something I'd like to know. I'm not sure if you know anything about it, but I just can't get it into my head. Why would anyone possessing a quirk attend Seishin? There are so many renowned schools out there with fantastic reputations that are not focused on the strength of quirks …"

Izuku remembered how everyone had advised his quirkless self to come here to Seishin Academy. He would fit right in they said. They couldn't have been more wrong. Quirkless or not, he adored quirks. Even if he didn't possess one himself, he could never hate them.

So, why did people come here? Did some of them just not realize they had a quirk? Or did they dislike their quirks so much, they pretended not to have one? It was hard being bullied for being quirkless. I must have also been hard to be bullied for having a weird, useless or scary quirk. A quirk suited for villainy, like this guy from the Gen Ed class, Shinsou. Or even Shigaraki….

"I have no idea who those people are, but I guess you nailed it. This campus harbours more tragic backstories than the school's library, you wouldn't want to know who had it the worst," Shikogane explained. Izuku stared at her wide eyed. He hadn't mentioned U.A. in his rambling, had he?

Yaoyorozu was frowning at him. Those were some heavy thoughts. Seishin opened completely new topics for her.

"That's quite an exotic topic for soon-to-be Seishin students." All four of them froze. Slowly turning, Izuku came face to face with the stoic expression of his least favourite classmate. Tomomo only grazed him with a short look before turning to Shikogane, "What a peculiar companionship. Although, not very surprising. I would advise those two freshmen to get better company, then again, I don't think they're very deserving of it."

"I don't see why you care," Shikogane hissed, "whatever problem you have with me, leave those two-"

"Now, you just shut your fucking mouth," he interrupted her, perplexing all three students. Turning to face two heroes in training he continued, "As an honourable student of Seishin Academy, it is my duty to report any conspicuous activities. Should I catch you doing something inappropriate…" He moved his index finger over his neck, in a slitting throat motion. After offering them a last, nasty grin he left, but not without bumping into Izuku.

Silence fell over them. As if their task wasn't hard enough. Now they had the threat of an actively observing classmate looming over them.

The one to break the silence was Shikogane. "I'm sorry about that," she apologized, "he hates me. I never figured out why, but he hated me from day one. Ah, you haven't met him yet Momo, he's the one we warned you about."

The frown never left Yaoyorozu's face after this incident. She nodded. "I see. We have to be more careful, then."

How could they be any more careful and produce results? It was their third day already, and they hadn't found anything yet. If it wasn't one of the teachers, they had nothing to present by the end of the week. The mystery would go unsolved. Izuku wordlessly followed the two girls down to the ground floor. They debated how likely it was for their math teacher to be involved. He couldn't give any input since he didn't know the man. Absentmindedly, he analysed the behaviour of his classmates at the time of the two incidents. It could be anyone of them. He didn't contain his muttering. The others were too engulfed in their own debate. His eyes travelled from his feet to the main entrance, where he saw the door shut behind Tomomo and two other guys. He turned back to the lockers, searching for the one assigned to him. Yaoyorozu stood next to him, opening hers.

Something moved in the corner of his eye. Izuku turned to get a better look. The front row was empty aside form Shikogane changing into her outdoor shoes. She caught Izuku's intensive stare, approaching him after closing her locker with a questioning look on the face.

There it was again. To the girl's right something wavered like hot, damp air above a tarmac road in the summer. A soft vibration went through the floor. A familiar feeling brushed over him.

Izuku's body moved before his brain caught up. He felt the familiar heat of One for All pulsing through his veins. He jumped, setting off a gust of wind. His body collided with another, knocking the air out of his lungs. Something tore at his pants. The ripping of the fabric was drowned in a much more gruesome sound, followed by a loud thud of something heavy hitting the floor.

Landings were not Izuku's strength. He slid over the floor, tumbling, bringing Shikogane down with him.

He heard Yaoyorozu scream his name. Shaking off the irritation, he faced the scene in front of him. Yaoyorozu still stood where he had left her, eyes wide open, hands covering her mouth. Between them a clump of - of _something_ unidentifiable lay inside a cracked hole. He trailed a long crack when he realized that it wasn't a crack at all...

 _Oh my god._ _Blood._ Now he knew why Yaoyorozu had screamed. He looked at his own leg where he had felt the fabric ripping. He could see his exposed calf, unscathed. This could only mean one thing. He whirled around. Shikogane half lay, half sat at his side, staring at the scene in shock, not batting an eye. Not moving at all. He quickly scanned her, dread setting in as he realized where the blood came from. A palm below her right kneecap, most of the fabric of her tights was missing, exposing bleeding red flesh.

In an instant, Yaoyorozu knelt beside them. Not caring if anyone saw them because they were screwed anyway since Izuku had used One for All already, she lifted the top of her uniform. Immediately, white bandages leaked out of her skin.

Izuku slightly panicked. No, there was no time for panic. He was a hero. Exactly this type of freezing up cost him many points at the provisional license exam. It could cost a life in an accident. He needed to act. So, he grabbed Shikogane by the shoulders, trying to draw her attention to him.

"Shikogane-san! It's going to be fine, we'll bandage you up and bring to the nurse-"

"Yotsune," she breathed, eyes still wide but surprisingly clear, "we need to call Yotsune. They'll find out…"

He stared at her in disbelief. Her leg had just been maltreated and all she could think of was covering up- covering up what exactly? It couldn't be. She couldn't know.

"I'm done," Yaoyorozu reported, "Midoriya-kun, please get help. I'll stay with her!" She didn't need to tell him twice.

It took only a few minutes for a good day to turn bad. That much they knew by now. They had been given off the last class before lunch, to deal with the shock, as the school personal explained. Izuku and Momo waited in the hallway of the small hospital ward. Apparently, Seishin had its own method of dealing with injured students. Methods that didn't include any quirk healing. They couldn't bring themselves to understand that kind of narrow-mindedness.

Momo checked her phone for messages.

"She made me call him," she simply stated. Izuku didn't know how to comment.

"I know it's for the best if he manages to erase the recording in time, but I still feel bad. I was supposed to be there for her, not run off and call someone in order to save myself. Save us," she admitted. He understood.

"I don't know… I just can't shake the feeling that something's off about her. And that Yotsune guy. All of them. But especially her. She didn't even flinch when I bandaged her leg! Then that reaction... She knew about our quirks, there is no other explanation. They both know."

Izuku felt bad because their conversation was quickly turning into a monologue. Still, he could only agree.

"At least they didn't tattle us." He tried to stay positive. "And they're helping us with the investigation."

"But why? There must be an ulterior motive."

Before Izuku could dwell on Momo's last words, clattering steps closed in on them. Neko's tall shape appeared around the corner. With only a handful of steps she closed the distance between them, glaring at the U.A. students.

"What. On earth. Happened?" She was breathing heavily, they couldn't tell if out of anger or due to exhaustion. Probably both. Izuku hurried to explain, "T-there was a-another incident! Sh-shikogane-san got caught up in the, the thing, we brought her here…"

"Of course," she snapped, "thanks for the illumination. Should've warned you. We always manage to end up in these situations."

Considering their "business", it wasn't very surprising. Izuku kept the thought to himself. Judging by her expression, Yaoyorozu thought something similar.

Luckily, before the encounter could become any more awkward, a nurse showed up. "Are you Shikogane-san's friends?"

"Yes!" Neko literally jumped. The nurse was taken aback for a moment, but quickly regained her composure.

"I-I see. I can give you five minutes, we gave her some rather heavy analgesics. Come back later today. She's in room 312."

Neko practically stormed through the hallway. Izuku and Yaoyorozu took their time to thank the nurse before following the energetic girl.

Neko was the first to arrive. She almost jumped on the bed, drawing a shriek from Shikogane.

"Are you alright?" Neko screamed. Shikogane waggled her hands, trying to calm her friend. She had been put in a comfortable looking shirt, the rest of her body was covered by a blanket.

"I think they stuffed my brain with cotton. Other than that, great. My voice sounds funny. You sound funny." Her eyes were almost closed. She looked ready to pass out at any moment.

"Dude. Whatever they drugged you with, I wanna have it."

Izuku and Momo entered, refraining from interfering with the two girls' talk.

"What's hurting?"

"Leg," Shikogane murmured, head dropping on her shoulder. "Just a little bit of skin and tissue missing. It's not that deep, they said. Gonna heal pretty fast."

"Eww. Sound gross. Does it hurt a lot? I can't imagine being hit by a quirk of all things! Will you get a cool scar?" Neko didn't hold back, not caring that her friend was totally out of sorts.

"Fine. Totally. Cool. That's cool. I'll finally be somewhat symmetrical again." Shikogane snickered uncharacteristically.

"Ok, I've heard enough from you. You go to sleep now, and you two," she turned to the soon-to-be heroes, "explain. What is going on? You too, Yotsune!" She pointed at the door. Izuku almost staggered, not having realized how the other boy joined them. How could anyone his size sneak up on them?

He nodded his head toward Yaoyorozu. "I did what you asked for. Had to run out of my math class, so you better be grateful."

"We are," Momo replied, "thank you. But wouldn't it be better if we went somewhere safe?" She glanced at Izuku. She definitely didn't want to talk about anything in front of Neko. They didn't need someone else to get mixed up in this.

"Nah, it will be just fine in here," Neko protested. "The Hospital ward is actually one of the few places with almost no surveillance. A vast amount of my business goes down in here. And if you're worrying about our friend here, she's already dead meat."

The U.A. students peered around the girl to find Shikogane snorting peacefully behind her, mouth open. Neko gave her chin a soft push.

"Now that we're sure she's not gonna accidentally choke on a spider, you talk. All of you."

Tomomo strode down the sidewalk. Technically, it was forbidden to leave school grounds during weekdays, especially by himself. He didn't care. He needed space. A quiet place to think, where none of his wannabe friends bothered him.

He buried his chin in the large collar of his jacked. He wanted to stop thinking about that. It wasn't worth his attention. So why couldn't he stop fuming?

There had been another incident at school. A student had been hurt. Not that he cared. But when he heard who that student was, he tried even more not to care. But he couldn't.

She had gotten away with only a flesh wound, something without permanent effects. This wasn't right. If it had gone according to him, she and Ashi-sensei should have swapped places. The girl could have died for all he cared. As long as it had been as painful as she deserved.

Kicking an empty soda can, he decided to take a shortcut. He turned sharp left, entering a narrow alleyway. He knew this part of the town like the back of his hand. No way he expected a dark figure leaping down in front of him. Before he could react, something sharp was pointed at his neck. He could feel the point tickling his skin.

"Don't move. Don't scream."

Great, a villain. This day couldn't get any worse. "Wh-what d-do you want f-from me?" he stammered

"What does Dragon want from you?" the figure hissed in return.

"W-what?"

"Let me rephrase," the villain took a few steps towards him, "why does Dragon want you dead so badly?"

Tomomo didn't understand. Who was Dragon? Why did he… Someone wanted him dead?!

"I-I don't know!" he pleaded. He was scared. It wasn't supposed to end like this.

"What is so special about a quirkless nobody like you?"

The villain came dangerously close. A thin ray of light, bouncing off a dirty, broken mirror at the side, fell on his face.

Something in Tomomo snapped. His eyes previously wide in fear narrowed, his quivering lips curled into a snarl. Shock was replaced by anger. He couldn't believe it. Why did life torture him this way?

The villain curiously raised his brows.

"Why… That face won't let me alone, not even when I'm about to die… Why do you have to look like her…?"

The villain froze. "Say that again."

"Why the fuck do you have to look like that freaking bitch? Can't you all just die and leave me alone?!" Pure anger tinted Tomomo's voice. An emotion that was quickly replaced by confusion as the villain wanted to know, "You know someone who looks like me? A girl your age?"

Startled, Tomomo nodded carefully, trying not to stab himself with whatever was held against his throat. The sudden change in the villain's expression gave him hope.

"What's her name?"

"Shikogane. Shikogane Hikari."

For a few painful seconds, nothing happened. Then the soft pressure against Tomomo's neck disappeared. The teenage boy rubbed his skin in disbelief. The villain in front of him was laughing. Cracking Up, really. He was totally crazy.

"Damn that Dragon! He's been toying with me long enough. You, boy, I have an offer to make. Bring me to that girl and in return I'll see that nothing happens to you. As I've said, some pretty powerful man wants you dead. I can protect you, but only if you lead me to her."

"What do you want with her?" There were so many questions around, yet he chose this one, knowing it was an easy bargain for his life.

"You see, the girl and I have some history together. She did some things that can only be labelled as betrayal. Things I cannot forgive. Things that demand death."

"Okay."

The villain seemed most intrigued by Tomomo's reaction. "How curious. No objections?"

"No. Only a request."

"And that would be?"

Tomomo clenched his fists. "Make it as painful as possible."

The villain stared at him for a few dreading seconds, then he started laughing again.

"That I can do. And I just think you might be the perfect person to help me with that. They call me Neo Kumo. And you are?"

"Tomomo."

Neo Kumo held an open hand between them. "You'd make a formidable villain, Tomomo-kun."

Hesitantly, Tomomo shook the hand. He didn't realize what he was getting himself into. He didn't realize it was something he could never, ever get out of.

And yet, if he did, he wouldn't mind.

Izuku mentally prepared himself. He knew that as soon as he entered the classroom, he would be bombarded with questions.

His phone vibrated in his pocket. It could be Yaoyorozu, or news from the group chat that had a new member now. Sighing, he angled for the device. One new text from an unknown number. Frowning, he unlocked the screen.

 _My dear Izuku  
It has been too long. I just want you to know how proud I am of your achievements. You've become a fine young man._

No one called him by his first name. Only his mother. It was definitely not from her.


	6. culprit

Izuku couldn't focus. His mind kept drifting back to the mysterious text.

 _My dear Izuku._

Who would call him that beside his mom? He tried looking up the phone number, to no avail. He even considered asking Yotsune for help. Then again, the Seishin student was busy enough with the search for that dangerous quirk user. Izuku didn't want to look distracted.  
His phone buzzed.

 **Francis  
** _Yo, got some news (_ _ω_ _)/)_

 **Francis  
** _Ashi-sensei woke up (_ _)_

 **Francis**  
 _She's still in shock though, police tried to talk to her but they didn't get anything ( ̵˃_ _﹏_ _˂̵ )_

Great. Another dead end. For a moment, hope had stirred in Izuku, only to be brutally crushed a few words later.

 **The One and Only  
** _Excellent job at informing us about how you found nothing_

 **Francis  
** _rude (_ _っ_ _-_ _‸_ _– ς)_

 **The One and Only  
** _How do you produce that many emojis at this speed?_

That had to be Neko. Another number he wasn't too keen on saving to his contacts. After having done so, Izuku texted Yaoyorozu, asking for her opinion. The group chat flashed again.

 **The One and Only  
** _I'm off, probs have a client later today_

 **The One and Only  
** _Don't dare to write me unless you have something._

 **Francis  
** _Wait (_ _；_ _´д_ _)_ _ゞ_

 **The One and Only  
** _Too late_

 **Francis  
** _Anyway_ _¯\\_(._.)_/¯_

 **Francis  
** _Freckles, Ponytail, I found something_ _ヽ_ _( ´_ _ー_ _`)_ _ノ_

 **Francis  
** _The teacher who found Ashi-sensei was Dainigai-sensei, maybe you should talk to him first. I'm doing a more thorough background check atm (;_ _ↀ⌓ↀ_ _)_

Izuku froze. That was his biology teacher. He remembered the man quite well. He was still young, maybe in his thirties, but carried the expression of an old man. He was half Japanese, with a bald head and long nose.

Now that Izuku thought about it, he had noticed the man acting weird. Since he had only seen him once, he didn't think much of it. Maybe that's just how he was. Squinting his eyes all the time as if he needed glasses. Scared of touching anything that wasn't his. Coming in the last second, leaving the room as soon as the bell rang, before any of the students. An individual with more nervous ticks than Izuku himself.

He was worth looking in to.

 **Deku  
** _Thanks for the info, I'll go talk to him!_

 **Momo  
** _Yes, thank you. Want me to come with you Deku?_

* * *

Single-minded, Neko rushed through the hallways. She had known about the mysterious quirk user but never paid much attention to him. His presence hadn't affected her business until now.

Things had changed. Neko was furious. Whoever it was, they hurt her friend, the only person she really cared about besides her family. She couldn't let this pass. She would find them, bring them to justice.

As soon as the other students saw her, they cleared of the way. No one dared to get on her bad side. Much less when she was fuming.

The tall girl passed the sciences floor when someone called out, "Oy, Neko!"

She didn't have time for this. Although her feet stopped moving, she didn't face him directly.

"What do you want, Tomomo? You can stick your crackbrained insults up someone else' ass."

If her comment meant anything to him, he didn't show. His voice remained calm.

"I'm not here for that. I wanna do business. Or are you too emotionally invested to take on new requests?"

He hit a nerve. Neko finally turned, asking through barred teeth, "and what would that be?" She hated to admit it, but he had a point. She couldn't let her personal feelings destroy what she had built over the past years.

"I need you to smuggle someone in."

Neko blinked at him in surprise before refusing, "Forget it. I'm not making any deals with you."

"You haven't even heard what I offer in return," the boy insisted.

"There's nothing you have to offer I'd be interested in. Not in my wildest dreams." Not ready to listen to his nonsense for any longer she scowled at Tomomo before turning away. "Don't try to talk to me or my friend ever again."

"That's exactly what I can do."

Neko froze. His words came thick and fast, they sounded almost desperate.

"Go ask someone else, shithead."

His reply came rushed, he almost stumbled over the words, "If you help me with that one thing I promise I won't pester you and Shikogane ever again, I swear! Not until the end of your lives!"

Neko couldn't believe her ears.

"I'm a lot, but I'm not a liar. Asshole, yes, but liar, no. Just think about it! There's only one little thing you must do for me and there will be peace! _Please_. Let me know after school."

Had he said _please_? As desperately as she wanted to find one, she didn't register any indication that he was lying. He really wanted this to happen.

No. There was no way she was going to accept this request. Not when it came from him.

Then again… She thought of Hikari. About the fights she had had with Tomomo. They had made enemies of themselves before Neko even came to Seishin.

So, what if something good came of it? What if they could live their lives in peace until graduation?

No, it wasn't worth the risk.

But if there was even the smallest possibility...

"Boss?"

Dragon studied the files in front of him. Without losing focus he beckoned his most trusted lackey. The man approached his boss, waiting patiently. His upper extremities were unproportional, the beefy arms reaching the floor. He wore a tattoo on the right side of his face, a green dragon winding around his features. They called him Doom Fist.

Finally, Dragon turned his attention upwards. "What is it?"

"It seems that Neo Kumo has made contact with our target."

"And?" Dragon inquired.

"He did not follow our agreement. The boy is still at large. Neo Kumo warned him."

A sudden wave of head brushed over Doom Fist, he shielded his face from the burning flames. As fast as they came to life, they disappeared. Crinkles of anger littered Dragon's face.

"It had to be expected. What a foolish boy. Does he think he could stand against us?"

Doom Fist knew better than to say anything. Patiently, he waited until his boss calmed his nerves.

"It doesn't matter now. Once our transactions are approved by the shadow men, there's nothing for us to be afraid of. Very soon, his life won't matter anymore. Still, get me Holo. Let's see how the spider-boy reacts to us knowing."

* * *

As he waited for Yaoyorozu, something picked on his nerves. For the first time in many months Izuku felt... Helpless. He had risked their mission to save someone and honestly, he didn't regret it one bit. Yet, someone still got hurt. Suddenly, he was younger again, weak and quirkless, cowering in front of Kacchan.

Pushing the dark thoughts away, he moved around the corner to see if the approaching steps came from Yaoyorozu. He took the turn a little too sharp, bumping into someone. "Ah, I-I'm terribly sorry!" he stammered.

It was a teacher. Not any teacher, but Dainigai-sensei. The man only mumbled something incomprehensible. Frowning, Izuku watched him rush away. Now his visit would become even more awkward.

He missed his friends at U.A. He missed Uraraka's motivational encouragement, Iida's dutiful nature. He missed how Todoroki opened up more and more, he missed Asui's blunt statements, Kirishima freaking out about how manly their fights were, hell, he even missed Kacchan's nonsensical screaming. Izuku wasn't cut out for this type of work. Undercover missions were not his thing.

"Midoriya! Sorry I'm late!" This time, it was Yaoyorozu who came rushing towards him.

"I-it's fine! Thanks for coming!" He was glad she had decided to accompany him. He didn't like the expression she was wearing though. "Is something wrong?"

"I'm not sure… I wanted to talk to Neko about Dainigai-sensei, but she wasn't in class. When I asked the other students and the teacher where she was, they just shrugged. That girl can do whatever she wants and no one dares to do anything. This doesn't seem right."

Izuku gulped. "You don't think she has anything to do with it?"

Yaoyorozu shook her head. "No, she wouldn't hurt let her friend get hurt. You saw how furious she got when she visited Hikari."

A compelling argument. Neko didn't seem to be the person to fake it. Then again, they couldn't know for sure, especially after being introduced to her less than three days ago.

"Shall we?"

Ripped from his thoughts, Izuku followed his U.A. classmate. Some teachers had their offices moved due to the ongoing investigation after the incident with Ashi-sensei. Dainigai-sensei was one of them. They found him in an old, unused classroom, equipped with an ancient computer. He wasn't all too happy to see them.

* * *

That was it. They were on to him. He couldn't say how and why, but they knew. It was over. The questions they asked… They were most likely on their way to the authorities now. This was the end.

No, it couldn't be. Not yet. He had to stop them. But… He couldn't. No way he would hurt precious, innocent children. To make it into Seishin, they had to have a bright future ahead. He couldn't take that from them.

There had to be another way.

Dainigai shot up. He had a simple mission to accomplish.

* * *

Their _interrogation_ didn't go all too well. Dainigai-sensei blocked their questions, urging them to leave.

"We could visit my literature teacher now. Her room is just around the corner," Yaoyorozu suggested.

"I don't know… Didn't he seem suspicious to you?" Izuku couldn't shake the feeling that the man hid something.

"Of course," the Yaoyorozu agreed, "but that doesn't automatically mean he's the culprit. Maybe he's hiding something else."

Izuku doubted it. If he were, Neko would know about it. He had an idea. "They're keeping the crime scene off limits, right?"

Yaoyorozu blinked, confusion showing on her features.

"Yes, but," her eyes immediately widened as it dawned on her what he suggested, "I don't know if it's wise-"

"It's not exactly like they can expel us," Izuku mused, "s-so i-it's worth a shot? W-we can call Yotsune for assistance."

Yaoyorozu stared at him. Her face and posture were hard to read. Was she mad at him? Did she think he was crazy? Did she-

"Fine."

"Really?" He was surprised. "I know it's not a very heroic thing to sneak around like that-"

"Actually," she interjected, "in this situation, it might be. If it's him, we might be able to save a lot of lives. Prevent more people from getting hurt. That's heroic enough for me."

Relief washed over Izuku.

Less than fifteen minutes later, they stood in front of the infamous secured office wing. Yotsune had been briefed, he agreed quickly to be their technical support, watching them through the security cameras. Yaoyorozu stayed in contact with him through her phone.

Izuku peeked through the crack in the door. Assured to be the only ones around, they entered. It was quiet, their steps echoed through the hallway. The silence was back-breaking, sending shivers down their spines. The nervousness formed small sweat drops on Izuku's forehead.

"Room 307," Yaoyorozu whispered. He nodded. That wasn't too far away.

Just as they passed the room 304, a door creaked. Both heroes in training froze. They needed to hide. Yaoyorozu stormed to the closest door, pressing the handle down

"It's locked," she hissed, "let's pretend to be lost!"

Izuku nodded again. Technically, they were, so no biggie. His nervousness would be of help for once.

Someone huffed. A person exited the room two doors down the hall.

"Oh, dear! What are you doing here, son?"

Baffled, Izuku stared at the tiny, elderly woman, carrying a big trash can. A charlady?

"Are you alright, son? Are you lost?"

Blinking away the confusion, an idea flashed in his mind. He put on his politest smile, waved Yaoyorozu behind his back, then stammered, "Her, yes, I'm totally lost, he he. I, uhm, was looking for Dainigai-sensei. You wouldn't know where I could find his office?"

The chairlady put the trash can down. "Oh, I'm sorry, son. His office was moved. It's in the east wing now."

"Oh, really?" _Yes, play dumb._ "Then I'll look for him there. Thanks a lot, Miss! A-actually, mind if I carry this down for you?" He pointed at the trash can. "Just to say thanks."

"Aww, son," the woman held her cheeks, beaming at him, "that would be so nice of you! And then they say there are no real her- eh, gentlemen left."

Izuku grabbed the trash can, panic rising. How did the woman not realize Yaoyorozu was standing just a little farther down? It didn't matter. He followed the old lady down the hall, throwing a glance over his shoulder. Yaoyorozu gave him a thumbs up, making her way towards Dainigai-sensei's old office.

"I'm in," Momo whispered to the mic in her earphones.

Yotsune affirmed, "Copy that."

She looked around the place. Nothing stuck out. It seemed to be an ordinary office with lots of neatly arranged books, a desk with a computer, a few plants on a sideboard. She quickly made herself some gloves, walked around the desk, going through the drawers. There were a lot of folders, but nothing particularly interesting.

"Power on his computer," Yotsune commanded. Momo complied with a sour taste in her mouth. She heard his keyboard rattling through the phone. After going through another set of drawers full of studies on bee population - a quite interesting hobby - Yotsune piped up again.

"Okay, this is weird. I'm gonna add Freckles to the chat."

Momo didn't question how.

"Does it work?" Midoriya' s voice came in.

"Yup. Glad you're still alive."

Midoriya dismissed the comment, "Guy, I really think he's the one we're looking for. I talked to the chairlady, or rather, she talked to me, she babbled all the way down and didn't want to let me go, but anyway, she found something rather interesting. A clump of metal and glass, she thought it was some kind of sculpture at first, but it lay under Dainigai-sensei's desk like trash. She also mentioned that he lost his glasses that day. She thought someone had pranked him by melting them, but it could be another implosion or however we'll call it."

"Wow," Yotsune whistled, "talking about monologue."

Momo face palmed. "Guys, focus. I haven't found anything yet." She looked at the computer screen, only to find various programs working simultaneously. So, Yotsune operated it remotely.

"Actually, I have. I went through his data, looking at the files he copied to his new computer recently. And, well…" He paused.

"Well?" Momo urged.

"You won't believe me. You left him around twenty-five minutes ago?"

"Yes," both Momo and Izuku replied.

"Exactly twenty-three minutes ago, he opened a student file, looking at their class schedule and club activities."

Momo gasped. Did he imply what she thought he did? Dread settled in her bones. Did this teacher really target a student?

"Who is it?" Midoriya wanted to know, his voice sounding dry.

"That's the thing," even Yotsune's words were articulated badly, "you won't believe it. How well do you know your new classmates, Freckles? The file Dainigai-sensei was looking at… It was Endo Tomomo's."

* * *

 _I'm not doing this for you._

She had told him at least seven times in the past five minutes. Tomomo ignored Neko's words every single time.

They passed through the unoccupied gym. Neko fetched a rusty old key, opening the rarely used tool shed. They passed through it as well, arriving at a small, overgrown courtyard that had not been used by the public in years. She led Tomomo to the fence, pointing at a wooden board.

"Two minutes. Be back by then or I'll leave you."

Tomomo didn't question her. Silent, he moved the board, uncovering a hole in the fence, wide enough to crouch through. He didn't look back once. Not when his revenge finally laid in reach.

Neko watched him leave, uneasiness nagging at her nerves. She couldn't trust her instincts not that the whole thing with Hikari had messed them up. Logic remained favoured in this situation. She rocked impatiently, glancing at her watch every few seconds. Two minutes took an eternity to pass. At last a familiar head popped up. Neko wasn't disappointed to see him crawl through the mud. He was followed by strange man, a few years older than the Seishin students.

Instantly, Neko's alarm bells rang. There was something weird about him… Danger. Neko felt danger. She examined the stranger's frazzled black hoodie, his strangely familiar dark purple hair… Something was off.

"Thank you, Neko," Tomomo simply stated, "and I'm sorry. But don't worry, I intend to keep my word. You'll be fine."

Before she could react, something dark wrapped itself around her body.

* * *

Hikari stirred. She hadn't fully woken up yet and felt already tired. Her brain didn't function. Muffled noise pierced through the walls. A scream? No. She remembered. She was in the hospital wing. Probably still dreaming.

Another cry. This time, she was sure it wasn't her imagination. She almost jumped up, her vision immediately being shrouded in blackness. She slipped from the mattress, falling to the hard, cold floor. Hikari grunted as pain shot up her leg.

"No!" someone whimpered. She identified the voice as Neko's. Leaping to her feet, she urged the nausea down, staggering to the door. She pressed the handle down, stumbling outside.

"Neko?!"

In front of her stood Tomomo.

"Hello, Shikogane. Tell me, did they scream as much as your friend when your mother tortured and murdered them?"


	7. The mysteries of Seishin Academy

Dragon took in his surroundings. He could see old machineries but not identify their previous use. Everything around him was blurry, tinted in blue. A side effect from his subordinate's quirk. The tiles on the floor were cracked, covered in a heavy load of dust. An old factory. Not the cosiest hideout.

A figure appeared across the hall. "You have no business in here," it stated.

"Hm," Dragon mused, "I wouldn't be so sure. Long time no see, Kumo. Might I have a word with your son?"

The figure didn't move. It faltered before announcing, "He's not here."

"What a pity, really. Once he returns, please tell him I know he broke off our deal. Our business ends here. He betrayed me, so should we meet again, it will be as enemies."

"What did he do?" the figure's voice was barely above a whisper. Dragon couldn't hold back a grin. Family drama. He loved it. So entertaining, so intriguing.

He admitted, "Rest assured, our disagreement does not concern you. The two of us are still on neutral terms. Concerning your son, I'm not sure what exactly he's doing right now, but I'm quite certain he has business at Seishin Academy. You might have heard of it. According to my information-"

Dust whirled around, Dragon instinctively closed his eyes, fully aware that he was only there as a projection. Nothing could touch him. As he opened his eyes again, the figure was gone.

Truly an entertaining change of matters.

* * *

"What...?" Hikari's lips trembled. Hell. She was in hell.

"My parents", Tomomo enlightened her, "did they scream as much as Neko does now, when your mother tortured and killed them?"

 _No. No. It couldn't be. He couldn't know._

"He was a Hero, you know, she a businesswoman," he went on, "but who am I to expect you to remember them. Tell me, how many people has she murdered? How many times did you watch?"

 _No, no, no. Impossible._

" _Don't dare to look at me like that._ I know you were with her when it happened!" His brows furrowed, anger taking over his stance. "How many times have you heard the name Endo but never even considered I might be related to them? Do you even remember them? You fucking cold bitch! You could've as well killed them yourself!" Venom dripped from his words.

Endo. Endo Haru, also known as the Flying Hero Skyland. Endo Hana, head of Endo Enterprises, the most powerful company in the city of Onderon. How could she forget? They were his parents. They were dead. They had been tortured. Murdered.

And she hadn't done anything to save them.

She deserved every second of pain he inflicted.

"What, got nothing to say? Whatever, it doesn't matter now. I'm done with you. I'll let _him_ have some fun now."

Unable to get any other reaction from her brain or body, Hikari slowly moved her head towards Neko's muffled screaming.

She had called it hell before. This was worse. Her knees buckled under her body weight. There, just a few steps behind Tomomo stood the one person she had hoped she would never ever have to see again. A person whose memory only revived all the pain he had put her through.

Tomomo watched the exchange with amusement. He walked over to the young man holding Neko hostage, passing the tightly in black wrapped girl who desperately wiggled in her cocoon, trying to free herself.

"Have fun, partner. I'll wait downstairs."

* * *

Izuku ran as fast as he could without using his quirk. He almost ran into a few people. Almost. The adrenaline improved his agility, he stormed the temporary office, not bothering to knock. It was empty. Dainigai-sensei was gone.

Frantically he dug out his phone, calling Yaoyorozu. Somehow, he ended up joining her and Yotsune's group call again.

"He's gone! He's not in his office anymore!"

"Checking the surveillance footage for any signs of him," the answer came immediately.

"Midoriya, let's meet at the entrance," Yaoyorozu suggested, "maybe Tomomo's at the dorms."

So, Izuku ran again, rejoining his friend at the doorway. Also breathing heavily, Yaoyorozu suggested, "We have to let Succult know." The sole hero guarding the school was the only useful help they could count on.

No further words were exchanged.

* * *

Tomomo turned his back to the event. Physically as well as mentally, leaving it all behind. He was done with it. He ignored the few people coming out of their rooms, lured out by noise and screaming. They could call the authorities, once anyone got in it would be too late anyway. No heroes were allowed on school grounds except for that one guard, and god help them, the police was powerless against Neo Kumo. That much he got from the villain's subtle power demonstration.

The Seishin student strolled through the hallways as if he didn't have a single care in the world. Soon he would leave this place. Time to grab his things. Time to make the world a better place.

He exited the building. heading towards the dorms. He was halfway across the place when a voice called out, "Endo Tomomo!"

An angry teacher was the least of his problems. Tomomo speed up, acting as if he hadn't heard the man.

"E-Endo!" the teacher called after him again, voice wavering. Whatever. Tomomo went on, falling into a jog. That's when the ground started shaking. The sudden vibration almost jerked him off his feet, he stumbled a few steps before finding his balance again. Annoyed, the boy threw a glance over his shoulder, freezing in his step. A crater split the asphalt less than ten meters behind his back, a grey chiselled sphere peeking over the edge. It took only a glimpse of the outraged teacher's face for Tomomo to know he had screwed up.

It was him, Dainigai-sensei, his biology teacher. He was the one responsible for all the incidents. And apparently, Tomomo had done something to enrage the man. This could only end in a disaster. The boy gulped, then tried to assuage his teacher, "Dainigai-sensei… I-is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry," the man replied, tears streaming down his face, "I don't have a choice. I have to do this. It's the only way!"

"W-what are you talking about?"

The ground shook again. Petrified, Tomomo jumped to the side, barely avoiding becoming one with the paving under his soles. Panic began to take over his mind.

"D-Dainigai-sensei…!"

"I'm so, so sorry," the teacher sobbed, "but I have to do this. Your life for those my quirk would take in the future. I have to end this."

Tomomo didn't understand. There was no reason Dainigai could be after him. He had nothing. He had lost everything. He was no one.

"Neo Kumo!" he screamed for his new partner. He didn't come.

Someone else did. Tomomo felt something drive against him, a steel grip winding itself around his shoulders, dragging him away faster than any human should be able to. Shocked, he stared into the freckled face of Midoriya Izuku, the Hero-loving boy he couldn't stand being in a fifty-meter radius of. He blinked rapidly in disbelief as Midoriya slowly backed up. How did they get away from the place in less than a second? That was impossible. Unless… _That fucking lying son of a-_

"Endo-san, are you alright?" Behind Midoriya stood a girl. He didn't know her, but he recognized her. She had been hanging around Shikogane and that nerd Yotsune. They had to be colluding with each other. All of them.

"Endo-san, for reasons unknown to us, Dainigai-sensei seems to be after you. We asked Succult-san for assistance, he will deal with him. Please stay with us, so we can assure your safety!" Spoken like true Hero scum. Tomomo already hated the girl. He was about to snap, when they were rattled by an explosion.

"It's coming from that building over there," Midoriya exclaimed. The opposite direction, the one they had intended to go to.

"We don't have time for this, we have to watch over Endo-san," the girl argued before Midoriya could say a word. Still, he was set on a dispute.

"But someone could be hurt!"

"It could be a distraction!"

"Yaoyorozu," Midoriya placed his hands on the girl's shoulder, "I trust you. You can do this. I'll check it out real quick, then I'll be back with you. He's save with you."

Tomomo couldn't believe it. He wanted to gag from all the cheesiness. The girl, Yaoyorozu, stared at Midoriya for solid five seconds before giving in, "Fine. I'll get him to safety and call the authorities. Please don't take too long."

* * *

"Really? Here's where you've been hiding all this time? That's pathetic. Even by your standards."

Every bit of colour drained from Hikari's face. The world around her was spinning. She could only see his face, hear Neko's muffled screeching.

"What, are you not going to say hi to your own brother? We haven't seen each other in years! I almost missed you. Regards from mom, by the way. She didn't want to come all the way here."

He was lying. That was all he ever did.

"That's no fun. Do something!" The pitch of his voice rose. He was slowly losing his ease. Hikari still felt paralysed. Unable to breath.

"Fine," Neo Kumo shrugged, "let's see if I can get a reaction from you with this."

The black mass wrapped itself more tightly around Neko. Her screaming became more intense. Now not just from sheer panic, but also from slowly building pain.

"S… top…" The letters wouldn't roll of Hikari's numb tongue.

"What? I couldn't hear you."

Neko pressed her eyelids together. The pain visibly intensified.

"N-no… Pl-please…" Hikari stammered, tears blurring her vision.

"What?"

"Please! Let her go!" her tongue gained back strength, the words came rushed but clear. Surprised at the sudden strength rolling through her body, Hikari scrambled back to her feet. "Let her go, she has nothing to do with this!" She had to protect Neko. Her safety was all that mattered now.

Neo Kumo took a step forward. Hikari examined his appearance, so different and yet the same as she remembered. Their resemblance was uncanny. He looked like an older, more mature male version of her apart from the eyes. She had inherited her father's golden irises, while he wore the same dark purple as their mother. He took a lot more after her, just as Hikari resembled their father more.

"You see… The boy made a promise not to hurt that girl. But you know what's great about being a villain? You don't have to hold any promises. Especially if they're not yours."

"Did you tell him?" Hikari's throat felt coarse, her voice came out raspy. "Did you tell him that it was you who killed his parents?"

Neo Kumo just shrugged. "Really, now? Wake up, this is the real world! People die, you make people die, that's just how it works! It doesn't matter who did what, all that matters is what _he_ believes happened."

Tears swelled up in her eyes. She whispered, "I hate you."

"Of course, you do. Just as much as you hate yourself."

Hikari couldn't stand it any longer. Something familiar bristled under her skin. She hadn't felt it in years. It was building up, her muscles tensed in a desperate attempt to suppress the urge to release it.

"I told you… To let her go." Her arms and legs were shaking, her knees threatened to buckle in again.

Another laugh escaped Neo Kumo's lips. Hikari saw him adjusting the black matter coming from his back. To her right, Neko's eyes widened. Another scream rattled through her body.

Hikari exploded. Quite literally. She could feel her skin burst in several places. She heard multiple screams, one must have been her own. Something broke under _its_ grip. It rambled like thunder, wind brushed against her face, ripping on her loose hair. She let _it_ extend further, until _it_ had a grip on Neko. Hikari pulled back, catching her friend in her tattered arms.

The girl didn't move. Her eyes were closed and yet her expression was twisted in horror. She had lost consciousness but didn't seem to suffer from any external injuries.

Hikari sighed in relief. Everything hurt. There was blood on the floor around her. Gently, she placed Neko against the wall, making sure no one would accidentally trip over her. Then she turned to the wall on her right - or what was left of it. The hole the incident on Monday left was nothing in comparison to this. And it was all her own doing. The Seishin student left her friend, hobbling to the hole. Carefully peeking over the edge, she found Neo Kumo struggling to his feet three stories below. So, he had managed cushion the fall. Giving her friend one last guilty look, the girl sped away, ignoring the throbbing in her limbs. A group of students shrieked as they caught sight of her. Hikari only commanded them to call an ambulance and take care of Neko.

When she arrived outside, he was already waiting. Black strings were emitted from his back, reminding her of thin, spidery legs. An ugly laceration graced his front, other than that, Neo Kumo looked fine. Too bad.

"Finally decided to play, have we?" The strings behind his back moved. Hikari didn't want to give him time to come up with a plan. She stormed towards him.

One of the black spidery legs dashed in her direction, she avoided it by letting herself fall to the ground, rolling to the left. Another leg embedded itself right beside her shoulder. Too close.

Daring to call upon _it_ , she thrust herself up, glad her feet were bare. The ground beneath them cracked.

"What a pity. You used to have such good control over it," Neo Kumo taunted, earning a frantic cry. Hikari started another attack, only to be violently punched into the middle. Every bit of air was knocked from her lungs. She didn't even realize how she hit the ground as she desperately gasped for air, chest burning in agony. Neo Kumo said something but the words slipped her mind. Something cold wrapped itself around her neck.

She knew that feeling. It was over. She was going to die.

Black dots danced across her vision. She barely managed to identify her opponent's form as he closed in on her. Jep, she was definitely going to die. What a way to go down.

Her consciousness started slipping away. As desperately as she tried to keep her eyes open, they shut. The pressure around her neck intensified.

Something cracked. It wasn't her, but she knew the sound all too well. Something connected with Neo Kumo's skull. Her neck was set free, she fell limp to the ground, desperately grasping for air.

"Shi-Shikogane-san!"

* * *

Izuku didn't believe his eyes. There was a villain, not just a teacher out of control but a literal villain standing in front of him. The young hero jumped in as soon as he realized the villain held someone hostage, embedding his foot in the other's face. He only used a very low percentage of One for All, making sure he would only knock the guy out, not hurt him. He wouldn't repeat his mistakes from Hosu.

The boy gasped as he recognized the hostage. He sprinted to her side, noticing the burst, bloody patches of skin.

"Sh-Shikogane-san!"

The girl didn't react. He grabbed her by the shoulders, yanking her up. "Shikogane-san, hold on!"

Eventually, she opened her eyes. They looked dull at first, until something sparked up. Izuku felt like looking at liquid gold when something shot from the girl's side, bursting more skin and ripping the fabric in the process. A mass, radiating a faint, golden glow soughed from the wound, building itself up above them. Izuku whirled around, following the stem to see it build a dome over them, not a second late. Black, pointy strings were thrown at them, bouncing off the golden mass shielding the two students, protecting them.

 _Oh_. It took him a moment to realize. That golden thing, it was a quirk. If he hadn't completely lost it, it was Shikogane's quirk. There was no other explanation. That much for "a school only for quirkless people."

The girl gritted her teeth, sweat drops dripping from her face. More hits rained down on them, Izuku heard the villain scream in frustration as his attacks stayed futile.

"I… Can't hold it… Much longer," Shikogane stammered, "Midoriya… Go! He… He doesn't want anything from you!"

"What? No! We need a plan-"

"Just go!" She tried to push him away. It wasn't more than a soft touch since all her strength was directed to her quirk.

A punch may not have been enough to knock the villain out. Izuku simply didn't know enough about the other's fighting style, his quirk, his motivation. But the one thing Izuku knew for sure was that the man couldn't see them behind the shield. That was their window to get away.

"Shikogane-san, hold on to me!" He needed to get her to safety first. Then he would hold the villain off until the pros arrived. Izuku carefully heaved the girl over his shoulder, earning a yelp in return. With the help of One for All the U.A. student pushed himself off his feet, rocketing into the sky. To his surprise, he noted that the shield behind them didn't immediately disappear. He bounced of an empty balcony, jumping higher as he reached out for the balustrade on top of the building…

He didn't make it. Something wrapped itself around his ankle, yanking them both back. Shikogane almost slipped from his grip.

"Do you think you can get away so easily, stupid punk? I'm gonna fuck you both up so much, they won't know you once were human!"

In the distance, Izuku picked up sirens. Yaoyorozu did it. Help was on the way. He just needed to hold on for a little while longer.

Using his still free leg, Izuku stomped on the black string wrapped around his ankle. Even by using eight percent of One for All, the black mass didn't back up. It didn't even crack. They neared the ground at a terrifying speed.

"Push!" He almost missed the outcry of the girl on his shoulder. For the lack of a better idea, he prepared himself. Something golden shot across his vision, severing the black spider legs coming towards them from their owner. The villain screamed. All too sudden, Izuku's feet connected with the villain's torso and the boy pushed. They hit the ground at an awkward angle, rolling over the asphalt. Izuku grunted. He pushed himself up, searching for the villain. He found him lying half across the place. That last push must have at least cracked a few ribs. Assured that this time, the man wasn't moving for good anymore, the U.A. student rushed over to the girl a few meters behind him.

"Shikogane-san!"

The girl tried to push herself up, to no avail. Izuku knelt beside her, helping her into a sitting position.

"I don't have anything to secure the villain, so I'm getting you to safety until… Shikogane-san?"

The Seishin student wasn't paying any attention to him. Her eyes were wide, starring into the direction where he knew the villain to be. He couldn't be up again, could he?!

Izuku turned, only to find another person bending over the villain. He watched in horror as black matter identical to the villain's shot from the newly arrived stranger's back, wrapping itself around the man on the ground. The figure threw a glance at them, face hidden under a purple hood. Heaving the villain up, the stranger simply walked away, disappearing behind the bushes lining the path.

For the split of a second, Izuku intended to follow them, but was held back.

"Don't… There's nothing you could do against them. They're too strong."

* * *

As soon as that bastard Midoriya left, the girl grabbed Tomomo by the arm and led him away.

"My name's Yaoyorozu Momo, I'm a friend of Midoriya-kun," she introduced herself, "this is all very sudden, I know, but we have to get you as far away from Dainigai-sensei as possible."

He had nothing to say to that. As much as he hated the type of people they were, following that girl was better than being murdered by that crazy teacher. Yaoyorozu led him into a building, the gym to be exact - what a coincidence? She let go of his arm, throwing a glance around the corner.

"I need to make a call," she announced, "please stay where you are. I'll be right back." She brought some distance between them, turning her back to Tomomo. Did she really think he wouldn't hear her? He had to get away from her. Tomomo looked around. He needed something… There was a tennis racket. Better than nothing.

"Yotsune? This is Yaoyorozu. I need you to inform the school administration and the police, if possible they should send in the hero Eraserhead, he can stop Dainigai-sensei's qui-"

A loud thud could be heard as the racket clashed with her head. The phone fell from the girl's grip, tumbling to the ground. She staggered, expression twisted in confusion. He hit her again. This time, she was out cold. Good.

Tomomo jumped over her body, into the direction of the old tool shed where he knew he could escape through the hole in the fence. He would wait for Neo Kumo there.

* * *

"Dainigai-san? It is me, Succult. I'm this school's guardian hero, we've talked before. Please calm down."

 _ **He's gone. Where did he go? Where? Where?!**_

"Dainigai-san, can you hear me? If you stop now, everything is going to be fine!"

 _ **He had help. Someone must have helped him. Behind the bushes?**_

"Please, Dainigai-san!"

 _ **Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!**_

"It's going to be alright! Just calm down-"

Someone touched him. Dainigai roared in frustration. His elbow connected with a face, whoever it was, they stumbled back. He struck out again. Whatever the other person tried to say, it was lost as Dainigai shut him with another fist. Teeth scrapped his fist, he didn't care. The other person tripped, toppling down.

He needed to find the Tomomo boy. It was the only way.

Dainigai turned, started running. His shin struck against another leg. He dropped face first to the ground.

"That's for Ashi-sensei!"


	8. family issues

Izuku stared at the inspector in front of him. He was responsible for all the police work surrounding Seishin Academy because, how else could it be, he was quirkless himself. An earlier graduate. He looked rather unremarkable with his slightly overgrown, dark hair, the deep-set eyes and friendly wrinkles around his lips.

Inspector Kirou, as he had introduced himself, had a lengthy list of questions. Izuku was completely worn out, worried about Yaoyorozu and the Seishin students. After the villains' disappearance he had carried Shikogane to the ambulance at the entrance. The gate was already overflowing with a gawping mop of reporters and bystanders the school staff and police desperately tried to hold back. Avoiding getting into their line of sight he brought the wounded girl to the paramedics. Another ambulance left as he arrived which meant that someone else had gotten hurt as well.

Shaking the memories from his head, he answered the question, staring at the grazes on his hands. He got off lightly. A few scratches and a bruise around his ankle where the villain had dragged him back.

The inspector seemed very much interested in U.A.'s involvement. Luckily Izuku didn't have to lie. He knew almost as little as the inspector in front of him, so there wasn't much to tell. More so about the villain he couldn't even put a name to. Izuku accidentally called him the spider-guy once which startled the inspector. Maybe he shouldn't have read that many comics in his childhood.

Izuku mused. Yotsune was the only one with a chance of knowing more about Dainigai-sensei since he hacked his computer. On the other hand, only Izuku and Shikogane had seen the villain what explained why the inspector seemed so keen on getting information about him. All Izuku could tell was how he saw him hurting Shikogane and how he stepped in. He described the villain and his quirk as best as he could, mentally noting to write an entry on him as soon as he got home.

After what seemed hours, the questions came to an end.

"Thank you for your help, Midoriya-kun. We are very sorry you had to go through this. You're free to go home now. U.A. has let me know that you have the rest of the week off to recover from these events."

Izuku was glad, he needed sleep. And some time to wrap his head around all this. About Tomomo and all the other students who hated quirks and heroes so freely. It was an entirely different world. About a teacher going berserk and the possible aftermath. He took a deep breath.

"You're welcome, I really wish I could have done more…" the last part slipped his tired tongue. He didn't mean to say it out loud. Inspector Kirou sighed.

"You've done all that you could. Your actions saved more than one life."

Izuku bit his lip. It didn't feel that way. The inspector got up, motioning him to do the same. Hesitantly, Izuku spoke up again, "Inspector… What about the others? A-are they fine?"

Inspector Kirou seemed startled, then offered a small bow. "Of course. Please excuse my lack of manners. Yes, your comrades are going to be fine. I have been informed that Yaoyorozu Momo got a mild concussion, she will be allowed to leave the hospital tomorrow."

Relief washed over him. It was nothing too serious. But how did she even get hurt?

"Amatsuki Nekoya will also be kept overnight. She was in shock when we found her, the medics need to make sure she doesn't suffer from post-traumatic stress. Aside from a few bruises she's also fine."

The comment startled Izuku. Neko had been involved as well?

"Concerning Shikogane Hikari, she will have to stay a little longer. A specialist from our neighbour town will take a look at her, he has an effective healing quirk."

Finally knowing the facts felt liberating. Izuku stood in the door frame, when one last question crossed his mind, "What about Tomomo?"

The inspector eyed him with interest. "As of now, Endo Tomomo is missing."

The hero in training gasped audibly. It couldn't be. Yaoyorozu wouldn't let anything happen to him. "D-did Dainigai-sensei…?!" Was that how Yaoyorozu got hurt?

"No, it seems that his disappearance has nothing to do with Dainigai. It looks like we're dealing with two separate cases here. Judging by what we got from Yaoyorozu, Endo knocked her out and fled. Amatsuki stated multiple times that he had been working with the villain who attacked her and Shikogane. But until the girls have calmed down and Shikogane wakes up, we can't say anything for certain. We also have the statement of Yotsune Maki, who's aid turned out to be surprisingly helpful. As we speak now, our men are examining the security feed of the whole school."

Izuku thanked the inspector, hoping Yotsune didn't get in too much trouble for all the hacking he did for them. He would also write Yaoyorozu a text as soon as he got out, asking her directly what happened. She probably wouldn't answer until tomorrow.

The police exhibited the decency to drive him home, where his mother wrapped him in a bone crushing hug. He should stop worrying her so much.

Yaoyorozu's reply did come the next day, just as he expected. It was shorter than he wished for, and not nearly as important as the other text he received that day.

* * *

"Who do they think they are?!"

Doom Fist watched his boss throw an all too familiar tantrum. He was used to it by now.

"I don't like where this is going either. But we _need_ them for our demonstration. We got the affirmation of the League, if we let them test the samples from the Yakuza they will surely be happy to do business."

Dragon took a deep breath. He pinched the bridge of his slim nose, piercing green eyes darting up. "Good. Now that we're in the final stages of our plan, I cannot put either one of us at risk. I will send in my strike team and accompany them as a projection. The Shadow Men do not have the means to see through Holo's quirk."

Doom Fist bowed his head, knowing it was his cue to leave. "Very well. I will send for Holo and assemble the strike team. They should be ready within the hour."

As he left the room, Dragon watched his every move. The Shadow Men were crucial to his success, he couldn't risk upsetting them. It would set them back months, they would have to reorganise everything and look for reinforcements with similarly suited quirks. Not an easy task.

Circling his fingers over his temples, Dragon reached for his phone. He didn't like it when things didn't exactly go his way. He needed something to calm his nerves. After unlocking the screen, he copied his own contact details to the clipboard.

His subordinates wouldn't agree with his action. Good thing they didn't know.

* * *

Hikari stared blankly at the bulk under the blanket where she knew her feet to be. Nothing seemed real. Did all this really happen? She felt like she just woke from a decade long coma, like everything was just a dream and her dad and mom and brother would walk in any moment, giving her the warm hugs she desperately longed for.

Another side of her knew. It was real. Everything truly happened. The ringing of her phone underlined that thought.

 **The One and Only**

 _we're downstairs_

Hikari barely found enough strength to look for the thumbs up emoji. She felt ... No, that wasn't the right way to describe it. Somehow, she… She didn't feel anything. She wasn't shocked, sad or afraid. Numbness overtook her, she couldn't even bring herself to care when putting the phone away sent a sharp pain through her side. There was only emptiness.

Her injuries were ugly and painful but not life threatening. Theoretically, they should discharge her within the next two days. After tonight's treatment, she should be healed enough. And yet, all she read on the papers the doctor handed her was " _stay prolonged for an indefinite amount time "._

It took her a solid minute to understand. They were not keeping her here due to medical reasons, but because she had nowhere else to go. She couldn't move back to Seishin. Not after she had revealed her quirk to half the school. She imagined her classmates glued to the windows, watching her fight against _him._

There was no place for her in this world. Her father was dead, her mother and brother off to whatever villainous thing they were planning. Aside from killing her. Neither of her parents had any siblings, and she only remembered one of her grandparents, the old grandma that cut off any contact after what happened to her mother.

Neko, her only true friend, stayed at Seishin while her family lived somewhere in Singapore…

Hikari hadn't felt this alone in years.

Even if she had a place to go to, she wouldn't want to. Because her presence was threatening. Wherever she went, danger followed, in shape of her psychotic older brother. Everyone around her was in danger, she was a liability, something she couldn't account for.

A knock drew her back to reality. She quickly wiped her checks dry - had she been crying? - before welcoming her guests, "Come in!"

Her voice was not nearly as strong as she had hoped for. Good thing she could blame it on the progressing recovery.

The door flew open, revealing a blushing Neko.

"Girl, who do they think they are? Had us waiting at the reception for an eternity! And then this super fancy guarded wing? I didn't even know they had that. It's like you're a celebrity!"

"Hi to you too," was all Hikari had to answer. Neko drew a chair to the bedside, jarring loud enough to wake the whole floor. Hikari ignored her extroverted behaviour, being used to it. What came as a surprise was the soft closing of the door, pointing towards another visitor. The dark mushroom hairstyle of Yotsune appeared, standing awkwardly beside Neko.

"Yo."

"Yo," the girl retorted perplex.

"Oh," Neko dismissed the tension, "Don't mind him. He's your substitute. I need someone to help me with our business as long as you're gone."

It felt like being stabbed in the gut. Hikari had to bite her lip to get that bitter taste off her tongue. As if she'd ever make it back to Seishin.

"Sure." The smile didn't reach her eyes. Of course, Neko noticed. She watched Hikari intensively before the ultimate breakdown.

"I… I'm so, so sorry!" she suddenly whimpered, wrapping her arms around Hikari and burrowing her head in her friend's shoulder.

"...Wha…?"

"It's all my fault! I let him in! I just wanted to help, but I let him in! It's my fault that you got hurt, and if they don't let you come back, that's also my fault! How can I ever look you in the eye again? I don't wanna be without you!"

* * *

Izuku dropped on a bench in the park, sweat dripping from his face. He had been brooding all day, overthinking what had happened the past few days. He still didn't have all the details. He left his house for a jog shortly after a call with Yaoyorozu. She knew even less than him and was happy he was able to clear a few things up for her. Neither of them had heard of the Seishin students and they admittedly were a little too afraid to ask. There was no knowing how they would react or if the inspector had confiscated their phones.

Their call ended with the agreement that Yaoyorozu would ask them via the group chat if they didn't hear anything till tomorrow.

The week had been a lot more tiresome than Izuku expected. Going undercover didn't sound as hard as it was. Lost in thought the boy stared at the sky, observing the fluffy clouds scattered throughout the blue. At first, he didn't even notice how his phone vibrated in his pocked until a screaming kid ran by. He snapped out of his trance, making sure his mom hadn't written him to ask if he'd be home for lunch. He was surprised to find something else on the screen.

All colour drained from his face. It couldn't be.

 _ **Contact details received:**_ _Midoriya Hisashi_

* * *

He wasn't used to walk amongst other people anymore. The streets were noisy, the lights too bright, the hypocritical hero ads too penetrating to ignore. He hated it with every fibre of his being. One of his men, portraying a perfect businessman, kept pace with him. Dragon made out four of his other men in the corners of his eyes playing their roles appropriate to their beautiful skillset.

They left the main street, turning into a small back road, travelling through the lesser looking part of town. They reached their destination within a few minutes. A tall man with raven hair, eyes and fingernails in the same colour, waited for them patiently. An introduction wasn't needed.

"Please follow me." The man led them to a plain looking multi-storey building. Dragon made sure to map every single turn, every door, every niche in his head. There was always a chance he could need it in the future. He observed every individual that crossed their path, analysing them for a potential quirk. Most of them carried the same raven features as their guide.

In front of a door that did not appear different from any other their guide came to a halt, motioning them to wait outside. They did as told. Soon, the man returned, asking them to enter and sit down on a comfortable but worn-down couch. Vis-â-vis stood a comfortable looking armchair, already occupied by an old man with a glorious grey moustache. Behind him, two women and three men towered over the back rest, all with the same black features.

"Please, sit. We have much to discuss. A cup of tea? A coffee? Maybe some liquor?"

"Thank you, but it's protocol for me and my men to not consume anything offered during missions. Not that I am not grateful and impressed by your hospitality," Dragon declined the offer. The old man chuckled.

"You're one of the cautious ones, aye? Not that I blame you. It's good to be careful. Therefore, I will not take any offense."

Dragon forged his greatest smile. "I'm pleased to hear this. You sound like a man I will gladly do business with."

The old man waved. "Flattery is not a tool I welcome. Let's get down to business. You want our services and we are glad to join under the right conditions. So, why don't you tell us more about your plan, great Dragon?"

Wrinkles laced the man's skin, covering up most of his prominent features, hiding his expression better than any acting could. For once, age came to an advantage. Should he ever live this long, Dragon added this thought to his endless list of precautions to take in the future.

"Old Shadow," that was what the underground called the old man, "I fear I cannot share every detail with you. Our plan is built on surprise and can only work if everyone does exactly as told without questioning orders. I believe I have written you everything you should know for this operation."

"Yes, yes," the old shadow caressed his moustache, "but your demands are impossible to fulfil. Even if I send in every man, woman and child, they can't hold it for this long. Especially not with all those heroes on our tail."

Dragon's eyes glinted. He held out his hand. His only subordinate who had made it in, the man in the business attire, handed a small leather suitcase to him. Confident, Dragon entered the code and showed the Old Shadow the goods. Half a dozen vials, filled with liquids in two different colours. Pointing to the first row, he explained, "These are quirk enhancing drugs. These portions should be enough for four test runs."

The Old Shadow's eyes widened. Dragon continued his explanation, now pointing to the lower row, "I can only lend you two of these. Those are still beta versions and do not have the full effect, but I can assure you how useful they will be. It's a quirk erasing drug. As of now, these samples will only render the subject quirkless for a short amount of time, a few hours at max. But it should be enough to get rid of those quirk loving hypocrites playing heroes."

The Old Shadow looked at him intensively. His voice wavering, he wanted to know, "How much?"

"Please view this as a first instalment, a gift showing my gratitude for our future collaboration. You will still receive full payment after."

There was no way anyone would ever decline his offer. Dragon had them exactly where he wanted them.

* * *

Should he tell her?

Izuku stared at the All Might poster above his desk.

No. It was most likely a prank. Why would his father, a man he couldn't even remember, a man they hadn't talked about in years, suddenly want to get into touch with him? Why now? Why not after the sports festival? Where did he even get Izuku's number?

No, he couldn't tell his mom. If it really was him she would know. She would have told him.

It was a prank.

But he never told anyone about his father, not even his closest friends, so how and why would anyone try to fool him?

Izuku groaned in frustration. He grabbed the small barbell in front of him, lifting it up and down with his left while turning the page of his quirk analysis notebook. He needed a distraction. He seized the pen and started writing, all while continuing the constant up and down movements with his other arm.

 _ **Name**_ _: Unknown._

 _ **Status**_ _: Villain_

 _ **Quirk**_ _: can produce (?) a dark substance from his back, regulate and operate it at will. Forms thin strands that give the appearance of spider legs._

He contemplated.

 _Experience points towards not being able to detach the substance from his body._

 _Quirk appears to be the same (?) as another human's, most likely a close relative_

Izuku paused.

The number he received was clearly from a Japanese service. His father was supposed to work abroad, wasn't he?

The boy let his front hit the table board. So much for the distraction.

* * *

The bright light of the warm midday sun was taunting her. She did nothing but lie in her bed all day, yet she never came to rest. She was exhausted but couldn't sleep. Whenever she closed her eyes she saw _him_. His face. He was laughing at her. Sometimes it was the manic expression that had burned itself into her memory two days ago, other times he was younger. Around her age. Less scars covered his complexion. His eyes were of the same intense purple colour, but less dead than they looked now.

He made fun of her. His hands reached for her. She forced her eyes open, too afraid from the pain.

A knock.

Hikari sat up, pulling down the blanked she had used to shield herself. Her tears had dried long ago, but the swollen, red eyes betrayed her.

Another knock.

Neko had already been here today. No one else came to see her. She had repeated her statement in front of the inspector for three times, it wouldn't be him again. Regaining as much of her composure as possible she invited the guest, "Come in."

The door opened. There was nothing at first. The girl blinked at the crack bewildered.

"Down here!" a squeaky voice came. Hikari lowered her gaze, meeting black button eyes framed by white fur. Her mouth dropped open. She had no words for the… Creature in the door.

"Please excuse my unannounced visit, I did not mean to waltz in like that. But our matters are urgent. May I come in?"

She could see no malice in the creature's behaviour. Hikari just nodded, too astonished to say anything.

"Thank you." The creature - a mouse, maybe? No, the ears were too small. It entered, closing the door behind its back. Approaching her bedside, it asked for permission to take a seat, "May I?"

Again, Hikari was too perplexed to give a verbal reply. The mouse-creature bowed before hopping on the chair.

"My name is Nedzu, I'm the principal of U.A. I came here to talk to you about the events of the past week." This had to be a joke. The authorities were handling things. Why would the freaking principal of the freaking top Hero Academy in Japan pay her a visit?

"I came to listen to you in person," the principal explained as if he just read her mind.

"Oh. O-okay."

"Don't be afraid, I'm merely here to make sure nothing has been filtered out by the authorities. I always like to hear different versions, from the people themselves preferably."

"If you say so." She realized late how harshly it came over. Hasty, she added, "o-of course I'd like to help. Ask me anything you want!"

The principal just chuckled. "Don't worry about formalities, I'm here to uncover the truth. So please don't hesitate to speak your mind, even if it seems inappropriate. There are also another two things I'd like to discuss, about that quirk of yours and your current situation. But let's begin with your impression of U.A.'s little undercover operation."


	9. UA 1-A

There were many things he considered. Like being a good son, answering with something along the words "It's nice to hear from you", "I missed you", "I'm happy you made contact". But none of those sat with him. His feelings were too complicated.

He was between denial and anger. He didn't want to believe that whoever wrote him that message was his biological father. And yet, one part of him knew. Deep down he knew. This didn't mean he was ready to accept it.

Why now? After everything… Why not after the Sports festival? And why would he write him and not his mother? Surely mom would tell him if she had heard anything from that man lately. As far as Izuku knew he hadn't made contact in _years_. It made no sense. Nothing made sense. The only thing it did was making him angry.

Who was he to leave his wife and son behind for more than a decade?! Hell, Izuku didn't even _remember_ him. They never talked about him. There were only a few family pictures and he and his mom always avoided looking at them, it was their silent agreement.

Why would that man contact him now, even claim to be proud?

Izuku just didn't get it. And when his mother called while he was out he didn't know better than to put on a smile and push the thoughts away. He couldn't tell her.

"As for the recent incident at Seishin Academy, the police has finally released an official statement."

Izuku almost dropped his chopsticks. He turned to the TV, completely missing his mother calling his name in surprise.

"As we already reported, two students of the prestigious High School had been hospitalized last Wednesday."

He immediately thought of Yaoyorozu. Luckily, she had been released two days prior.

"Following the official statement," the newscaster went on, "one of the teachers who had managed to hide the existence of his all his life went into a rampage. As mentioned, two students got away with minor to medium heavy injuries, the property damage was confirmed to amount multiple million yen. To prevent any future disasters the school has promised to introduce a new quirk regulating system that requires semi-yearly check-ups of all the students, teachers and other personal working on school grounds."

He took in a sharp breath, again missing the worried look on his mother's face. Was this new procedure even legal? Were there no laws concerning such… anti-quirk behaviour? What would happen to all the people at Seishin hiding their quirks? Would they be suspended? Neko had shown them a list and boy, there were many. Most of them had rather "useless" quirks that were easy to hide, like telling the exact temperature, inverting all the colours of their vision and stuff like that.

Then he remembered Shikogane. No way the girl was ever going back to Seishin, with or without those new regulations. He felt bad for her.

Maybe these were the reasons he hadn't heard from the Seishin trio ever since?

Inko watched her son mumble to himself. Something had been troubling him ever since he returned from that special assignment. He didn't talk to her about it and she didn't want to pressure him. All that was left for her was to hope he would at least talk to his friends.

* * *

They came to get her in the morning. A big box with all her belongings, packed by Neko, was stowed away in the car's trunk. Inspector Kirou quickly greeted her, filling her in on everything they had decided about her future. Not that Hikari had any say in it. Typically.

The girl listened quietly, answering with as few words as possible. She just hoped the ride would end as soon as possible. She had enough of adults screwing up her life. Not that she had much to screw with left.

After what seemed an eternity, they arrived. Inspector Kirou led her inside, dropping her off in the middle of the campus, big box in her arms, a small backpack slung over her shoulders.

A few minutes later she stared at the building in front. It was two winged, with a sign so huge there was no mistaking it; the dorm of class 1-A. The girl huffed, the large cardboard box weighting heavily in her arms. She didn't have much. A few clothes for the weekends because she mostly wore the Seishin uniform weekdays, some books and video games which made the box all the heavier. Other than that, her laptop and necessities for living. There wasn't much free time to spend when you were the right-hand man of the one and only Neko.

Warily, Hikari climbed the stairs. There were two doors. Which one should she take? They had given her some sort of flyer explaining everything. The small booklet lay on top of the box, unopened. She wasn't in the mood to place the box down and go through the pages, but she also had no interest in running into something she wasn't supposed to see. What a dilemma.

A soft touch on her shoulder made the girl jerk, box falling from her arms. In sparkling reaction time, fingers grazed the box, making it stop in mid-air. Hikari blinked at it dumbfounded.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" came a bubbly voice. Hikari lifted her gaze to see a girl standing beside her. She had warm, chocolate eyes and rosy cheeks, a smile adorning her round face.

"S'okay," was all Hikari managed.

"I'm Uraraka Ochako, nice to meet you! What are you looking for? Are you lost?

The girl was probably thinking she was from another class. Hikari gulped before replying, "Shikogane Hikari. Nice to meet you as well, Uraraka-san. I, uhm…"

How was she supposed to say it? She had to center herself. After a few seconds Hikari tried again, "Isn't this the dorm of class 1-A?"

 _Wow, excellent job stating the obvious._

"It is! Are you delivering something?"

"N-not exactly." Why was socialising so hard? Neko made it look so easy. Hikari was completely lost without her at her side. Uraraka eyed her in confusion.

"What are you looking for then?" It still sounded friendly.

"Actually, I, eh, I am transferring to class 1-A? I came from another school but due to recent events had to transfer? It's, uh, complicated." Wow. How did she even manage to let it sound like a question?

Uraraka's eyes lit up. Het smile grew wider, she clapped into her hands, which caused the still floating cardboard box to crash into the ground.

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! I got really excited for a moment and accidentally shut down my quirk!"

"It's not a problem, really! I don't have anything fragile in there," Hikari assured her. Uraraka seemed relieved. "You sure?"

"Yes, it's fine," Hikari reassured, this time with a small smile of her own.

"Thank god. Oh, I'm in 1-A too! That means we're in the same class! But I haven't heard anything about a transfer student. How long have you known?" the U.A. student mused.

"I was told two days ago that I would most likely be attending U.A.," she explained, "but I only got to know which class this morning. They actually told me I'd be in gen ed first."

Uraraka nodded understandingly. "That short termed? No wonder they didn't tell us Friday. Come on in, then! I'll show you around. And let me help you with that."

Uraraka touched to box once more before pushing it up into Hikari's arms. It was weightless. What a useful quirk.

"Thanks, Uraraka-san."

"Uraraka or Ochako is fine. I'll show you your room first, then I'll introduce you to the others. Just tell me where your room is!"

Hikari didn't expect any sort of welcome, even less such a warm one. Maybe it wasn't going to be so bad after all. She still dreaded getting to know everyone though.

"Thanks again, Ur- Ochako. And please, call me Hikari."

Loud voices rang through the hallway. It was a miracle they didn't run into anyone on the way. Hikari was incredibly grateful. It meant less awkward introductions.

"Alright, here we are, fifth floor! The rooms on the right are for the girls, the ones on the left for the boys. Your room is just next to Tsuyu's, you're lucky! She's really great, you'll definitely like her."

Hikari just smiled and nodded politely. There was not much to say. Ochako lifted one hand to wave. "I'll leave you to it, then. When you're done, come down to the first floor, we'll all be there waiting for Deku-kun and Momo-chan to return. I'm sure they have a lot to tell! Anyway, if you need anything, just come down!" Luckily, the brunette didn't notice how Hikari froze at her statement. So, she was in the same class as Momo? That made sense. She slowly started to puzzle together why she hadn't been placed in gen ed after all.

Ochako warned her before shutting down her quirk, then left with a wave, strolling down the hallway. Taking a deep breath, Hikari buried her fears as deep as she could, fully focusing on the task at hand. Opening the door, she found a fully equipped bedroom with a small balcony.

About forty minutes later, the fledgling U.A. student sat on the bed, feet dangling from the edge. She had finished unpacking over twenty minutes ago. Her new school books had already been brought upstairs, she only needed to place them on the shelf. Not quite ready to leave she had let herself fall on the bed, inspecting the small room over and over again. She was used to double bedrooms. She had never had her own room, even before all this she shared one with her brother.

 _No. Don't think of him. He can't reach you here._

Hikari was used to wake up at least once in the middle of every night, watching Neko making an important call or scrolling through reddit or tumblr or whatsoever. Not sleeping much was good. It meant less nightmares.

"Okay girl, time to get up," she reminded herself. Ochako was probably worrying. Maybe Momo had returned. The thought sent a shiver down her spine. She hadn't even warned her or Midoriya. Not that there had been much time this morning.

Hikari slapped her forehead. She forced her body to get up, fetch her phone and leave the room.

"Kero? Are you the new student?" came a voice from the door next to hers. Hikari whirled around, coming face to face with another girl. She was a little shorter than Hikari, with dark eyes and an extremely wide mouth. The girl placed a large finger on her chin.

"I'm Asui Tsuyu, Ochako-chan has told us about you."

"Oh, um, hi. Shikogane Hikari. You can call me Hikari. And yes, I am. I was just about to go down." Not that she had any other choice now.

"Then I'll be coming with you, Hikari-chan!" Tsuyu came to her side, gesturing her to come along. "How do you like U.A. so far?" she asked without hesitation.

"I haven't seen much yet, but it looks… Huge." Hikari had considered Seishin Academy to be huge. Yet it was nothing in comparison to this.

Tsuyu nodded sympathetically, "It can be quite overwhelming at first. But you'll get used to it. There's not a single week school doesn't hold a new surprise for us. It's very exciting."

"So, there's a lot of variety?"

"Endless," Tsuyu stated, leading her down the stairs. It was rather easy to keep up a conversation with her which Hikari found immensely relieving, considering they'd be neighbours for probably the next two and a half years.

* * *

Izuku almost spit out his drink. He had packed a small bag with all the things he had taken from the dorms to Seishin, enjoying one last hot tea with his mom before going back when the 1-A group chat suddenly went wild. He had purposely left his phone in his room, but the beeping became so frequent, he couldn't ignore it any longer. Holding the cup in one hand he excused himself. In his room he scrolled through the messages, taking another sip from the tea. Uraraka announced they'd get a new student. At first, he thought it was a prank, until he read the name.

No. This couldn't be a coincidence. The only one knowing that name beside him was Yaoyorozu, and she definitely wouldn't mess with them.

He went into a coughing fit, hopelessly gasping for air.

* * *

"Hi," she said lamely.

A dozen pairs of unfamiliar eyes stared at her, not including Ochako and Tsuyu at her side. Hikari made out a – wait a minute…A bird head?! then a face that looked more like a rock than a human skull. One guy had six freaking arms, a mask covered half of his face… Then there was a girl with horns, pink skin and yellow irises framed by black, somewhere a tail moved, glasses flashed, there were too many impressions overwhelming her all at once. Suddenly, a girl's school uniform came floating towards her, exclaiming loudly, "Hi, I'm Tooru Hagakure! Nice to meet you!"

Within half a second, she was assaulted by what seemed most of the class, all screaming names at the same time.

"Everyone, please calm down," a boy with glasses came to his feet, moving his arm in a very robotic manner, "one after another! Please let Shikogane-san breath!" Ochako had really told them about her.

"Tha-thank you, eh…?"

"Iida Tenya! I am the class president. If you have any issues, feel free to come to me." He bowed, causing Hikari to jump and bow even lower. "Thank y-you, Iida-san!"

"It is no problem! I have received confirmation from Aizawa-sensei that everything is in order. You're to start class with us tomorrow morning!" He lifted his arms again, mimicking someone routing traffic for some reason. Ochako got up, reminding her friend, "Iida-kun, I think you're the one scaring her now."

"Why don't you sit, kero? We'll go around, introducing ourselves one by one. Ochako-chan already told us your name, maybe you could tell us some more later?" Tsuyu suggested. Hikari gladly accepted.

There was no way she'd remember all these names, although there was no way to mistake one for the other. She remembered the bird-head, Tokoyami, the invisible girl Tooru. There was a guy who could shoot tape from his elbows, Serio? Sero? The pink girl was Mina, fair enough. There was a rather plain guy with a tail, the one with six eyes on his six arms that still scared the freaking shit out of her. One guy didn't talk and instead let his huge friend introduce them both. Amid explaining two other boys came rushing in, both with very vibrant hair colours in yellow and red. She remembered one screaming about how manly their sprint was after receiving Ochako's messages. She didn't even notice how someone else sneaked in until Tsuyu called him out to let him know he should introduce himself. His eyes had different colours, also his hair was split in the middle. A scar adorned the left side of his face. Hikari would be lying if she claimed not to know who he was. Todoroki Shouto. At least one name she'd not forget. His introduction was brief and consisted of only his name. Hikari replied by repeating her own name to not sound rude. Talking about rude, just in that moment a door was thrown open, red eyes scanning the attendants until they found her.

"Who the fuck are you?" There wasn't much emotion behind his words, just simple rudeness. Hikari couldn't help but feel offended. She stared back at the boy, brows furrowing.

"Bakugou, it is not suitable to-"

"Shut it, I'm not talking to you, four-eyes."

"Woah, man," the manly-sprint boy with the spiky red hair got up, "why are you in such a bad mood?"

"Forget it, shitty hair," the rude boy, Bakugou, turned his back to them, "just another pebble on my way to the top." With that he turned his back to them, just in time to find another two students entering through the door he forgot to shut. He mumbled something that sounded like _fucking Deku_ before going up the stairs. Hikari followed him with her gaze, perplexed, until one of the new students called after him, "K-kacchan!"

She knew that voice. There he was, Midoriya Izuku, with a small bag over his shoulder. She caught his gaze, loaded with too much emotion to decipher. Movement caught Hikari's attention. something pushed itself past Midoriya's legs, barely reaching the middle of his thighs. Rushing towards the seated group came supposedly a boy with purple balls on his head, eyes wide open.

The other boy with the spiky red hair - something with Kish… Kirishima? - who stood up to the rude guy - apologized for his classmate, scratching the back of his head, "Sorry about that, it's just Bakugou. He's not always like that."

"Only like ninety percent of the time," Mina chimed in, a little bit too happy.

"He's probably still angry because Deku-kun got a special assignment while he still doesn't have his license yet," Ochako mused, completely unaware of the purple menace that just slipped past her and most likely would have run straight into Hikari if Tsuyu hadn't slapped him back with… Her tongue?

Again, Iida tried to knock some sense into his class by reminding the purple thing - Mineta - that it was not appropriate to greet a stranger like that. The invisible girl Tooru possessed the decency to illuminate Hikari on Mineta's rather… Inappropriate behaviour. No one seemed to notice that Midoriya hadn't introduced himself. Not that he had to.

"Hey," came it from the yellow haired boy who arrived with Kirishima on the left, "now that most of us are here, why don't you tell us about your quirk? I'm dying to know what it is." Kaminari, Hikari remembered. He had told her about his quirk, electrification. It fit his name quite well.

Hikari gulped. There was no way around it, was there? She tried to stay calm while she explained, "It's… It's called Phoenix Particles. My body can generate a special kind of particle from under my skin. It only lasts for a couple of seconds, but I can control it and produce vast amounts of it. Not as great as I should, though."

"Wow, that sounds cool! Can you show it?" the elbow-tape-guy wanted to know. Hikari flinched.

"Well… I, uhm, I haven't used it in a long time, so my control is a little off. I'd rather wait for a bit until I'm sure nothing goes sideways." _Until I'm not almost killing myself and all of you_ , she finished her thoughts in silence. It was hard and incredibly embarrassing to admit to a group of heroes in training that she couldn't control her quirk anymore. Hikari looked at her hands in her lap, not daring to meet the others' eyes. Silence followed.

"But," she couldn't bear it, "I'm getting special classes to get a better grip of it again which means I'm not doing any PE with you guys at the moment. B-but it's not that bad, I was pretty good at it when I was younger, so I'll catch up with you in no time!" Was she trying to convince them or herself?

"That's nice to hear." Superficially, it sounded friendly, but there was an underlying irritation noticeable. Hikari finally lifted her head to meet Momo's gaze, who just entered the room accompanied by another girl. Although a smile was on her lips. she frowned. If anyone noticed, they didn't let it show.

"I-I guess," Hikari replied flatly, "hello, Momo."

"You know each other?" the girl who came with Momo asked. Her haircut was asymmetrical, earphone jacks were coming from her, what else, ears. Momo's brows rose at the question, she visibly tried to take on a more relaxed expression.

"We met during the... Assignment this week." Despite the small pause, Momo's voice stayed steady. Hikari was glad she offered the explanation because her own hands began cramping from her ruthless fidgeting.

* * *

It was Sunday morning. He was supposed to have the day off and yet Aizawa Shouta found himself in the principal's office.

"Why are you dumping all the problem children into my class?" he asked bluntly, earning a chuckle from the mouse-like creature.

"I'm sorry it seems that way. We all agreed it would be the best option to place her in the hero course, should the unlikely event happen that her brother dares to attack. Class A and B are unfortunately already prepared for these scenarios. Considering how mentally unstable the girl seemed to me, I thought it best to place her in the same class as Yaoyorozu and Midoriya, for emotional support. I have to admit that my decision hasn't much to do with your abilities as a teacher."

"Not much?" Aizawa repeated.

Principal Nedzu took a sip of his coffee. "As a more pressing matter, there are some things we need to discuss about Shikogane-kun's brother. From what she has told, and I have gathered from old reports, his quirk is very dangerous. It can be used very effectively in offence as well as defence. It does have its limitations, the longer a fight takes, the more apparent they'll become. It seems the young man strongly depends on his quirk which means he might not be as much of a threat without it. His goals and motives are still unclear to us, but should he become active, he might be an even bigger threat than the old Kumo. We better be prepared to stop him at first sight."

The implication was clear. Once again, the underground Hero Eraserhead was needed should a villain with a dangerous quirk decide to resurface.

* * *

When Hikari came down to get a glass of water she expected to run into someone. There were twenty other people living in this building, after all. What she wasn't prepared for though was to see none other than Momo sitting at the table, bent over a book. Hikari instantly knew what it meant. Mentally preparing herself for what felt like the hundredth time today, she approached her new classmate.

"Hey."

Momo looked up.

"Hey…" she seemed surprised. Hikari folded her arms behind her back, avoiding the other girl's gaze. It was only a matter of time. An awkward silence stretched between them. Once Hikari couldn't bear it anymore she walked up to the cupboards, searching for a glass.

"The cups are on the top left", came help from Momo. After thanking her politely, Hikari filled a cup, emptying it all at once, waiting for it.

"Hikari… Not to sound rude, but how are you here and why?"

There it was. The ex-Seishin student sighed, joining Momo at the table. She didn't sit down though, in case she needed to make a fast exit.

* * *

It was almost dark when Izuku returned from his training. All Might had shown him some new exercises last week and he hadn't been able to execute them properly until now, thanks to their little undercover mission. The young hero in training wiped the sweat from his front, discarding his shoes at the entrance area. He just happened to pass common room when he heard two familiar voices from the door left ajar.

" _...Not to sound rude, but how are you here and why?"_ came Yaoyorozu's voice. It only took his mind half a second to realize who she was talking to. He heard steps, a short pause followed. Then Shikogane spoke, "I'm not too sure myself… After what happened Wednesday, I couldn't go back to Seishin and no one wants the responsibility to look after me."

No, that wasn't right. Izuku didn't want to eavesdrop.

"Then, suddenly, the principal showed up, that mouse thing. Asked me questions about the incident. Then he's talking about U.A., telling me he's trying to transfer me because it's safe here, because U.A. knows how to deal with villains and such. I thought he was joking-" A distressed sound comes from inside and Izuku can practically see the girl shaking in discomfort.

"And this morning, when they got me, they told me I'd be in the Hero course. But you know, that's- that's not enough," her voice quivered, weakened. "I-I'm only here b-because they know you can fend f-for yourselves if he ever tries t-to attack again!" It sounded high pitched with underlying panic. "M-my presence is d-dangerous, I, I'm only a liability, and I'm here because they think I need you-"

"H-Hikari!" Yaoyorozu cried her name in panic as the other girl audibly tried to restrain a sob.

"I shouldn't be here," Shikogane continued, her tone now showing the bits of anger, "everyone knows it. I don't belong here. I don't belong anywhere."

It's like a knife to the heart. It reminded Izuku of all the times he felt like he was in the wrong place due to his quirklessness, when he felt left out, like he was a useless extra as Kacchan called it, or more like his whole existence was a fault. He couldn't listen any longer.

Softly, he knocked at the door. A gasp came from inside. Rubbing the back of his head, he let himself in.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you," he had to tell the truth, "but I overheard you talk." He found Yaoyorozu sitting at the table, a book in front of her. Shikogane stood a few meters beside her, staring at Izuku with glassy eyes.

Maybe this hadn't been such a clever idea.

"I don't, uhm," how was he going about this, "I don't think that's all there is to it. Principal Nedzu is supposed to be one of the most intelligent being on this planet. He wouldn't just accept you out of pity. There must be more to this."

Shikogane placed an empty cup in the sink, avoiding looking at either one of them.

"Thank you for your concern," she meant flatly, "I'm going up."

As she crossed paths with him, Izuku was tempted to hold her back and say something comforting, but nothing came to his mind. So, he watched her leave. Just after she closed the door behind her back, Yaoyorozu spoke up, "Midoriya, tell me again, and now in full length; what exactly happened after you left to check out that explosion on Wednesday?"

* * *

Doom Fist handed the reports over to his Boss.

"From the Old Shadow," he announced, "his test runs were successful. Even better than we anticipated. He expects a run-time between two and a half to four days to cover the intended area."

"Good. Very good. Launch phase two." Finally, Dragon's plans went into motion.


	10. rough start

He didn't like mornings. Much less Monday mornings. Chirping birds and clear skies didn't add anything. Aizawa would drop the bomb, then see himself out. Or down, inside his sleeping bag.

Sighing, he stepped inside the classroom, surrounded by the happy chatting of twenty - twenty-one, someone help him, it was time to expel someone, he should be losing not winning them - students. At Aizawa's sight Iida stood up, calming his classmates. Although he'd never admit it, the teacher was grateful for Iida's dutiful nature.

Aizawa walked up to his desk, staring at the forms in his hands. Better get over with it fast.

"Two announcements for today," he began, "one: as you already might have noticed, we have a new student in our class. Shikogane will attend all regular classes from today except hero training. In their stead, she will be receiving special lessons guided by me." The girl who had been staring at the empty desk in front of her jerked up. Aizawa continued, "Please help her catch up all she's missed so far. Next point: You are to have another internship in about a month."

Most of 1-A gasped, some crying out in joy. Aizawa found the explosive Bakugou glaring out of the window, a sour look on his face.

"For this one time, all of you will be allowed to go. Even the ones without a provisional license." Both Bakugou and Todoroki blinked at him in surprise.

"Although they are quite limited in their choosing and execution. Last time, most of you have a chosen an Agency that concentrates on field work. To give you more insight in the variety of heroism, U.A. has assembled a list of more diverse and specialized agencies that are willing to look after you for a week."

Murmurs went through the rows.

"Please fill out the forms and hand them in by next Monday. That's all for today."

He handed the forms to the student sitting closest to him, Aoyama, before grabbing his sleeping bag and leaving. No way he'd be able to sleep in the chaos he just created. As he arrived by the door, he remembered one last thing, "Midoriya," he called the student, "All Might wants to speak with you after classes."

* * *

"Hey, sit with us!" Hagakure exclaimed excitedly. Hikari tried her best to put on a smile and obliged. Although most of the class were engrossed in their own conversations she felt another wave of questions coming towards her. It was nice of them to try and include her in their lives, though. She should be grateful. Setting down her plate she took place next to the invisible girl and tried to figure out what exactly they were talking about. They seemed to be discussing a move which had been released last week. Of course, Hikari hadn't seen it - when was the last time she went to the cinema? - and she was glad not to be expected to take a huge part in the conversation. She'd rather finish the Soba on her plate in silence. Usually, it was Neko who did the talking. All she had to do was to throw in a yes or no here and there.

Around half of lunch break and tons of questions regarding her taste in movies the girl's phone buzzed. Warily looking at the display she found it was Neko. Hikari immediately excused herself and walked off as fast as she could without running. Iida had already scolded her for running down the stairs at the dorm this morning. As soon as she was out of hearing range she answered, "Neko? Is that you?"

"What kind of greeting is that?"

Hikari took a sharp breath. "I haven't heard from you since Saturday. Do you have any idea how worried I was?"

" _You're_ one to talk! Had a lot going on. Not fun." Neko sounded strained. Very unlike her. It didn't come to a surprise though, Hikari had seen the news surrounding Seishin. "How are things over there?"

Neko sighed. "On the surface it's calm, but believe me, it's an absolute mess. Chaos reigns. Lots of parents took their kids out of school, accusing the administration of being too strict and becoming extremists. Can't blame them, though. But we all know the real reason they left."

Hikari didn't know what to say to that. She leaned against the wall, needing some kind of support.

"You still there?"

"Yeah," she breathed heavily, "how are you?"

"Well, thanks for asking," Neko retorted sarcastically, "I've been grounded for five weeks for letting that - you know - that _thing_ in. They kinda figured out about my business as well."

"Oh."

" _Oh_? Really?! That's all you gotta say?" Neko replied sharply. "It's my lifework! They wanted to either expel me or ground me until graduation, but they offered a deal. If I help them find gaps in their security, because they now know I managed to avoid it for years without being caught, I'd get away with five weeks only. And I had to stop my business. Those fuckers."

"I see. I'm glad to hear you're okay though," Hikari replied in all honesty. A humourless laugh came from Neko. "Yeah. If that's your definition of okay."

Hikari found herself smiling softly. She already missed her friend so much. Neko was the only person she trusted, the only family she had. She didn't know how to survive these next years being locked up in here.

"Once this is all over, I'm going to hand in a request for visiting you. But that could take a while."

Hikari took a sharp breath. "You do?"

"Of course I will, dummy. It's not the same without you here. Yotsune has been following me around lately and I have to admit he's quite useful when he's not staring at my ass or chest." Neko's remark drew a chuckle out of Hikari. She felt the most relaxed she ever had since entering U.A.

"Alright, I hate to say this, but time's up, gotta go."

Looking at the clock, the fledgling U.A. student sighed. "I know, me too. I'll call you later."

"You better or I'm gonna come over and make you."

"Later, Neko. And don't get into too much trouble."

"Me? You better-"

Hikari hung up before the other girl could finish her protest. It was time to rejoin her new classmates and face reality, only this time with less anxiety eating up her thoughts. Neko was okay. That was all that mattered.

* * *

Endo Tomomo was going crazy. He stared out of the dirty window of the abandoned office, his prison. They were looking all over for him. Those bitches Shikogane and Neko had surely told them everything about him letting Neo Kumo in. He was still a minor, so his penalty wouldn't be too severe. Still, no chance he was going back. Not since he knew about _this_.

This other villain, Dragon, wanted him dead. Why? Neo had promised to tell him everything as soon as he returned. That's how Tomomo found himself staring down the empty road, waiting for the other to return.

* * *

The weather was still nice. Izuku would be able to train outside again today. But there was something he needed to do first. He waved his friends goodbye, agreeing on helping Uraraka with a difficult math problem after dinner. His feet already knew the way up to All Might's office, so he could get lost in his thoughts. Arriving at his destination, he knocked twice. Almost immediately his idol bid him in.

"Young Midoriya, it's great to see you." Izuku couldn't help but beaming at the man. He was happy to see his mentor. He took a seat, thankfully accepting a glass of water. What could All Might want? The boy had come up with several reasons on his way here.

"I've heard a lot about your experiences last week," the ex pro-hero began rather awkwardly, looking for the right words. He was a man of actions after all, not one of words.

"I just wanted to know if you're alright."

Izuku gaped at All Might but quickly regained his posture.

"Yes, yes I'm fine."

"Good." The previous holder of One for All seemed relieved. "I've heard a lot about Seishin Academy and I just feared that, well, it could revoke some… Unpleasant memories." He didn't need to explain any further.

"It really is fine! I mean, of course it was quite an experience… And it gave me a lot to take into consideration… But, it hasn't changed my resolve at all. It has strengthened it, actually. Those students, they don't believe in the heroes. Most of them hate them. It's awful, it really is! But that can change. I want them to change. I will become a great hero, one even they can look up to. One that can change their minds, one that will be worthy of being called your successor. I had a lot of time to think the past few days, and this is what I came up with. My answer to what I've seen."

All Might's eyes widened during Izuku's speech.

"Young Midoriya-" the man's voice cracked.

"A-All Might! W-what-" Had he said something wrong?!

Suddenly, the ex-hero's hands were on Izuku's shoulders. Blue eyes met green ones.

"I cannot express how lucky I am to have found you. Every time I think I figured you out, you surprise me again, young man. I couldn't have wished for a better successor. A better student. A better…" Izuku didn't register how he stopped in the middle of the sentence. His idol, his mentor, his… Family, yes, he had accepted him as part of his family long ago, All Might sounded proud of him. Of course the green haired boy couldn't hold back his tears.

"T-thank you, A-All Might!"

It took the two a few minutes to calm down. Izuku wasn't sure whether it was his cue to go. He emptied his glass, readying to leave, when he remembered something.

"About something that happened during the assignment last week," he wasn't sure how much All Might knew, "there was a villain and I couldn't get much info on him. None at all. It's like he didn't even exist before. I just wanted to know if you might have encountered anyone like him before."

Izuku hadn't found anything on the young villain on the internet at all. Then there was this other person with the same quirk. It was unlikely, but if the quirk ran in the family, maybe All Might knew something about him or his parents. A powerful quirk like that rarely stayed undetected.

"Of course, my boy. How can I help?"

Izuku tried to describe the villain's looks as good as he remembered and cited the entry he had written about his quirk. At first All Might seemed to be pondering without success. Then his expression grew grim.

"A-All Might? Is everything okay?"

"His quirk… It does indeed remind me of someone. You said there were two people?"

Izuku nodded. "The young man and the hooded figure. I couldn't make out their face."

"Did the figure have the physics of a woman?"

Izuku pondered. "I think so," he confirmed.

"And the villain… He looked a little older than you?"

"Probably around twenty, but I can't say for sure. Why?"

All Might took a deep breath. "Maybe... There was a villain I encountered a few times. A woman called Kumo. I don't know the details, but I remember her because I heard she was once a hero. Her quirk was powerful, so when she turned a villain, even I was alerted although she was more the underground type. A smart woman, but dangerous, hunting down criminals and heroes all the same. But the worst about her," All Might clenched his fists, "she had two children. One it seems inherited her quirk, one quirkless. The boy who inherited it adopted her will and helped her hunting. If they weren't so good at hiding themselves and their doing, the media would've gone wild at the sight of a child hunting and killing heroes."

Izuku felt like he needed another glass of water. "Do you… Do you think it could be them? The people I saw?"

"I can't say for sure, but it's a possibility. Kumo retired almost six years ago. I will have to inform the principal about this possibility."

Finally, Izuku had a lead. He would do his research, maybe talk about it with Yaoyorozu, even Shikogane, if she didn't flee again. Something else bothered him, though.

"What happened to the other child? The quirkless one?"

"I heard they were rescued the day the heroes attacked Kumo's hideout and forced her into hiding. I haven't heard of any of them since."

There was something about that statement. An odd feeling Izuku couldn't define. If the young man was this Kumo's son, why would he attack…? A thought. His quirk analysis. It all seemed to line up. The pieces clicked in place. His eyes widened.

"Young Midoriya?

"Yes!" he retorted too fast, coming to his feet. "E-excuse me, I uhm, promised Uraraka and Iida to do math homework with them, I need to-

The blonde in front of him chuckled. "It's quite alright, my boy. Just go. And don't think too much about this, the pros will handle it."

Izuku wasn't sure that would be enough. Still, he put on a smile and said his goodbyes. He needed to know, like, yesterday.

* * *

Hikari's jaw dropped against her will. Aizawa-sensei led her into some sort of gym, if it could be called that. The hall itself was about as big as the gym at Seishin but twice as high, equipped with various obstacles.

"Today, we're not going in further. We'll stay until I'm sure I can trust you with your quirk."

Hikari felt a stab in her stomach. The memory of her last attempt made her nauseated.

"While I have read the reports, I'd like to see it for myself. Now, activate your quirk."

"What?"

"Just a tiny amount."

The girl felt a sudden urge to flee. She wasn't scared, more absolutely terrified. She couldn't control it, she would-

"Or are you unable to do so?"

She snapped at the teasing. She had enough of adults not taking her serious. She clenched her teeth, readying herself for the pain. A familiar warm feeling came from under the skin of her left hand. Just the tip of a finger, not more. Just…

Skin cracked open. She barely suppressed a wince. Blood was dripping from her index finger while a golden mass ascended from the wound. Watching the particles rise gave off an unexpected sense of freedom.

"Okay, that's enough," Aizawa-sensei ordered, "why did you hurt yourself?"

"Excuse me?"

"Why," the tired looking man repeated, "did it hurt you?"

"Because I can't properly control it." What else was there to say?

"And why is that?"

The girl bit her lip. If he said one more _why_ … "Because I haven't used it in years!"

The teacher continued to stare at her. "According to the principal you said you once were able to control it. Why not anymore?"

She bristled with anger. "Because…!" Because what? Time had passed, yes but it sounded like a bad excuse. He was right. Why had she forgotten?

"Try to remember. Once you do, we will carry on." With that Aizawa-sensei turned his back to her. He walked towards the exit.

"W-wait," Hikari called out to him, "That's it? That's all you're going to teach me?"

"As you are now, it doesn't make any sense to teach you. Come back once you've figured it out. Until then, extra lessons are cancelled."

Hikari wanted to scream. There was blood all over. Most of it in the sink, dripping from her maltreated hand and arm, some splashes had found their way onto the mirror and the wall behind. Just why couldn't she control it? What was so different now?

It didn't matter. She needed to clean the mess before anyone noticed. She turned on the tab, flushing the red away and cooling her arm one last time before wrapping the nearest towel around it. She flinched, glad to have a room to herself. The sensation of the raw fibres on the wounds sent pain through her body. She just hoped it would stop bleeding soon, she had no intention of going down to get the first aid kit knowing that half of 1-A was there, enjoying their evening.

Of course, she wasn't as lucky. The stains were washed off easily from the wall, for a second she wondered if it was special paint designed for these cases, considered everything here was hero-related. Maybe she should call Momo for help. Then again, their conversation last night hadn't gone all that well and Hikari wasn't keen on seeing the other girl in private, not after the looks she gave her all day.

Or she could ask Midoriya. He had already seen the damage her quirk caused, so maybe he wouldn't make a big fuss about it. Clinging to that small piece of hope Hikari reached for her phone on the floor, still holding the damaged arm over the sink. After opening the message app, she clicked on the boy's contact, staring at the empty chat. Just what on earth was she going to tell him?

* * *

"And then you have to divide it by b, just as in the formula."

Uraraka's eyes lit up, she nodded with a big grin on her face. "Thanks, Iida-kun! It all makes sense now!"

Izuku chuckled at his friend's enthusiasm. Uraraka was neither one of the best, nor one of the worst students in their class. Hence, she asked him and Iida for help a lot, which they provided willingly. It never ceased to give him some more motivation of his own. There was just that tiny little fact that he discovered earlier that made him unable to process anything at the moment. There was still a chance everything was just a coincidence and one had nothing to do with the other…

A new message flashed up on his phone. Already too distracted to give Uraraka any advice - not that he was needed anyway, he felt like Iida did a superior job at teaching - he took the device. Who could it be? All his friends were in the room. Maybe it was his mom? Or maybe his… His fa-

Shikogane? That was even weirder than what he expected. As far as he knew she had excused herself shortly after returning from her extra class with Aizawa-sensei, which, judging by her expression, didn't go all too well. With picked interest, Izuku opened the chat.

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _Sorry, I hope I'm not disturbing you_

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _Could you maybe help me with something?_

Strange indeed. The frown didn't leave his face as the boy typed a reply.

 **Deku**

 _Sure_

 **Deku**

 _What is it?_

He waited. It took the girl on the other side several attempts to write back.

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _Could you maybe bring me the first aid kit?_

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _I tried to do something with my quirk but it didn't go as planned and I don't wanna make a scene_

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _please_

Izuku was on his feet before he knew it. Both Iida and Uraraka turned to him in confusion.

"Deku-kun? Is something wrong?"

"Ah, no, it's nothing! I'm just going to check something out, I'll be right back!" With that he waved his friends a goodbye and sprinted towards the kitchen area. Only after he was sure they turned back to face another math problem, he seized the first aid kit in the kitchen and made his way up.

 **Deku**

 _On my way, which room?_

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _top floor beside Tsuyu_

 **Shikogane Hikari**

 _thank you_

In all honesty, Izuku had never re-entered the fifth floor after each student showcased their room. He vaguely remembered where Tsuyu's must have been, knocking on the door next to it. It took a few seconds before he heard a strangled voice, "Mi-Midoriya?"

"Yes, it's me. Can I come in? I brought some dressing materials and stuff."

"In the bathroom." He took it as an invitation. Carefully he entered, finding one of the plainest decorated rooms he had ever seen. But no time for sight-seeing. He turned to the bathroom on the right where the light came from. Therein Shikogane stood, holding her left arm over the sink. A previously white towel was wrapped around the limb, now stained with blood. What else had he expected? He looked at the girl whose face was incredibly pale, lips drawn together in a thin line.

"Sorry," she apologized again, "I don't wanna bother you, but I didn't know who to turn to…"

"I-it's fine. Can I see?"

Shikogane anxiously took a step back but removed the towel either way. What Izuku came to see was not very pretty. It wasn't as bad as last Wednesday, though.

"I uhm, I think you should see Recovery Girl." After noticing her blank expression, he added, "She's our school nurse. She has a healing quirk. She can heal almost everything if you have enough stamina left."

"Oh," was all the girl had to say. She didn't look happy with his proposal.

"I can bring you there, if you want," he suggested, "not treating that could end badly, you know? I'm just trying to help."

Shikogane stared at him, then at her arm and back at him again. He could literally see her weighting the options. In the end, she agreed, "Okay."

Izuku stood there helplessly, watching how the girl wrapped the towel back around her limb, cringing a few times. Was that how the others felt when he broke his arms and legs repeatedly? He should have apologized to them more often.

The lights were still on as they entered the hospital ward. Shikogane stayed close on Izuku's feet, looking intimidated. He couldn't blame her. Hadn't he been in here a few times too many, he would probably feel the same way. If he was honest, he still felt uneasy knocking at Recovery Girl's office door.

"It's late," the elderly woman noted, "but come in."

As she caught sight of Izuku Recovery Girl's face fell, ready to scold the boy. Only after she noticed Shikogane appearing behind him, interest displayed itself on her features.

"I-I'm fine, not hurt at all!" Izuku blurted out. "This is Shikogane-san, she accidentally hurt, I mean, got hurt…" He looked at the girl helplessly. She still seemed anxious.

"I can't control my quirk very well and hurt myself," Shikogane confessed hesitantly. Recovery Girl eyed the girl for a while with a stoic expression.

"So, I've heard."

Shikogane flinched.

"Come here," Recovery Girl's features softened, "let me take a look at it."

Shikogane faltered, throwing a glance at Izuku. He flashed her a small smile. It was enough to get the girl to join the school nurse at her desk.

"Sit down and take the towel off," Recovery girl instructed. Shikogane followed. Izuku stood awkwardly at the side, watching the event from afar. After examining the wound from all sides, the elderly lady gave Shikogane a kiss which coaxed a shriek from the girl.

"It's only natural that you feel tired now, it's a side effect of my quirk. Your arm might be healed but it will still feel raw for a few hours. I'll wrap it up, it's best if you leave it on until your skin doesn't sting anymore. Midoriya," she turned to Izuku, "fetch me one of those bandages from the closet over there, will you?"

He complied. As he handed Recovery Girl the roll he noticed how Shikogane stared at her now fully healed arm as if she had never seen it before.

"It won't leave a new scar, but I can't do anything about the old ones. But," the nurse's tone suddenly became sharp, "that doesn't mean I want to see you here again. I have enough going on with that reckless green headed child over there." She gestured to Izuku. He didn't know better than to scratch the back of his head. The comment brought a tiny smile on Shikogane's face.

"I'll try."

Walking back was… Awkward. Less awkward than going though. They walked in silence until exiting the main building until Izuku finally found his courage.

"You know, when I first came here, I couldn't control my quirk as well," he informed her, "whenever I used it I broke my bones in the respective limb. I've lost count on how many that were. "

She turned to him, a mixture of surprise and interest glimmering in her eyes. "Really?"

"Yup. It got so bad I have to wear this band on my arm to make sure it won't be permanent. Also, if I break my arms one more time, Recovery Girl might not be able to fix them anymore."

"That sounds… Terrible. I'm sorry." She seemed to sympathize with him. Of course she could.

"I've learnt to control it, at least to some degree. It still means that I can only use a tiny amount of my power, also I had to adapt my fighting style and get some new gear. But I'm working on it. I'm sure, with some practice, you'll get there as well."

"I see." Shikogane lifted her arm, looking at the bandages intensely. Izuku watched her and went on, "I'm not pretending to know exactly what you're going through… But you know, if you figure out what's the exact cause of your problem, you can work on it, maybe find a way around it." It was the best advice he could give. The girl at his side continued to flex her fingers under the wrappings, brows furrowed. They again walked in silence until they arrived back at the dorms.

"Thank you, Midoriya. For everything." Shikogane slightly bowed before leaving Izuku standing at the porch, wondering what happened to his evening. Or what he should tell his friends. There was also the fact that he totally missed to ask her the thing he had been thinking about since his meeting with All Might. But there was no good way of asking, "Hey, are you maybe that super dangerous villain's daughter?"

* * *

"Took you long enough."

Neo Kumo stared at the teen in front of him. "What?"

"I," Tomomo came to his feet, "I've been trapped in her for days! Ever since that mother of yours had to save both our asses! One fucking competent villain, you are!" The boy was ready for another wave of insults when something cold and sharp pressed against his throat. He gulped, the black mass almost cutting through his flesh. Neo Kumo only snickered

"Think before you speak, boy. You are smart enough to know who dominates in this room."

Tomomo wrinkled his nose. He took a few steps back, almost tripping over the office chair he had occupied only moments ago.

"You promised me answers." Tomomo knew he sounded defiant, like a child. He didn't care.

"Aye, I did."

Neo Kumo had told Shikogane that promises didn't mean anything to a villain. Tomomo only hoped he'd make an exception. Neo eyed him disinterested before offering, "Let's play a game. You get three questions. I'll answer them if I feel like it, if not you have to choose another one."

"Tche, fine," Tomomo snapped back. It was probably the best he'd get. "First question: Which one of you killed my parents?"

Neo didn't even blink. "Next question."

The boy stared the villain down, bristling with anger. He wanted nothing more than punch that guy in his far too pretty for a psychotic maniac's face, but the black matter swirling behind the others back kept him from doing so.

"Fine. Why does this 'Dragon' want me dead?"

A wide grin spread on the villain's features. "Now we're talking. You know of the immense power your mother's company, Endo Corporations, holds?"

Tomomo blinked. Did he?

"Almost half of all companies in the city core of Oderon are owned by them. The other half is secretly under the control of Dragon. Not that any of the authorities are aware of that fact, Dragon's just too smart for them. An absolute fucking bastard, but smart."

"What does this have to do with me? And why did you save me?" Questions were overloading Tomomo's brain.

"You're not that stupid, are you? Think, idiot. Dragon wants the full power over the city, but he can't touch Endo Corp. And you, my friend, are the sole heir to it. If you die, he can plant his own men amongst the new candidates, taking it over without lifting a finger."

Silence fell between the two. Tomomo felt the villain quietly watch him as he tried to digest the information. In all honesty, he had never even thought about his mother's company. Let alone about inheriting and managing it. He knew as much as nothing about their work or who had taken control over it. There was so much he didn't know, so much he had never considered since his rage about the murder of his parents took over his entire being. He hated both heroes and villains because there weren't much different. Both eccentric narcissistic bastards who brought nothing but destruction and death. The only real difference was that the heroes were allowed to do so, while the villains and vigilantes did so anyway.

Taking a deep breath, the teenager finally managed, "I am not your friend."

Neo Kumo cackled again. "If you say so… Question time is over."

"But-"

"I said three questions, right? Your last question was why I saved you. You see, Dragon and I have some history. And he dared to mock me, so I am going to turn this stupid plan he has to take over Oderon into a nightmare."


	11. conflicting ideals

As it turned out, Midoriya was considerate enough not to tell anyone about the little incident last night. Relieved, Hikari waved off any questions regarding her bandaged arm, telling everyone she fell during her extra lesson. About those. She wouldn't be getting any in a while. Her head ached, she was overthinking as always, yet she still had no clue.

 _If you figure out what's the exact cause of your problem, you can work on it_ , was what Midoriya suggested. Obviously, he was right. But that was exactly her problem, she couldn't figure out _what_ made her as useless as she was now. She kept pondering to no avail.

On her way down to get some breakfast the girl ran into Momo, already looking ready to leave. The two shared a bemused look before adverting their gazes. Well, that was awkward. Luckily, Momo knew just how to break the tension.

"Good morning, Hikari," she greeted formally and passed the other girl. Working up her courage, Hikari called after her, "Please wait!"

Momo turned back to face her. The taller girl's eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. "Yes?"

"I, uhm," it was about as hard as Hikari had expected, "I'd like to apologize. For the day before yesterday. I know it wasn't very nice of me to shut you down like that and run away, I'm- I'm sorry." Mustering up all her courage, she met the vice class president's eyes. To Hikari's surprise Momo didn't seem upset. Instead, relief was written on her face.

"It's okay. I understand that you have been through a lot lately, so it's quite okay for you to get overwhelmed easily."

Her response took a load off Hikari's mind. She started an almost desperate attempt to express her gratitude, but nothing came to her mind. In the end, Hikari bowed, stammering a thank you and left before the other could react.

The week went on, days passing in a blur, none of them much different from the first. Getting up. Classes. Politely listening to the conversations at lunch. Classes. Excusing herself to go wander around the campus. Going to her room to catch up upon everything she had missed these past months. No progress with her quirk. Still no more extra lessons from Aizawa-sensei. Hikari grew more and more frustrated with herself and the situation at hand. She should have just jumped off that roof on her first week at Seishin. She might have, if Neko hadn't shown up that day. Why was she even trying? She had nothing, everything had been taken from her. Stripped from any kind of hope or dream she found no reason to exist. And yet she did. Why bother getting close to any of her new classmates, they would leave her at some point anyway. It wasn't worth getting her feelings crushed again and again.

Hikari had heard them talk behind her back. They weren't being mean or anything, simply no one understood her behaviour in the slightest. And Hikari didn't bother to explain. They didn't get why she didn't put any effort in becoming a part of the class. Or why she had been accepted to U.A. in the first place, if she apparently had even less control over her quirk than Midoriya did at the beginning. Whatever that meant. Hikari pretended not to hear anything and kept answering questions politely, gulping down the bitter taste each word left in her throat. She wasn't meant to be here anyway.

So, when Tsuyu asked if she wanted to join them as they went to a coffeeshop after class on a sunny and warm afternoon, she politely declined, telling them she still had much to catch up. It was a semi truth. They didn't need to know that she wasn't allowed to leave the campus. Each day, Hikari grew more and more tired of faking her smile.

Then Friday came.

It all started with Aizawa-sensei of all people appearing in the hallway. Hikari threw glances left and right, hoping it only appeared as if he was coming straight for her. Flight instincts kicked in as the girl realized they were the only two people around. Close enough to talk in a quiet voice but far enough to allow appropriate social space her new homeroom teacher came to a halt.

"Why do you want to be a hero?" he asked bluntly. Hikari blinked in confusion.

"Excuse me?"

"You're in U.A.," Aizawa-sensei simply stated, "so, why do you want to be a hero?"

She? A hero? The most ridiculous thing she had heard in a while. She didn't want to be a hero. Never. Maybe once, when she was still a child looking up to her parents, but not in years, definitely not now. Aizawa-sensei interpreted her silence in his own way. "If you don't strive to be a hero, you have no place here."

Of course, she didn't. That much she knew. Then why did his statement hurt? She clenched her fists, averting her eyes.

"We all know you're not here because you're fit to be a hero," he went on, "now, there's two things you can do about it." A pause caused the girl to look up again. Sharp eyes bore into her soul.

"One: Let it stay as it is. Slip through U.A. because they can't throw you out as long as that guy is out there. Get a certificate and life under a bridge in fear of him for the rest of your life."

It hurt. A lot. She couldn't say why. Tears stung in her eyes, dreading to betray her. She hated her life, she hated herself and, in that moment, she hated everything else as well. The world was a cruel place. Why couldn't her brother just have killed her all those years ago?

"Or two: Show them. Show them what you're made of, that you're not just a useless coward who needs protection. Show them that you've earned your place in this class, that you weren't just accepted out of pity but thanks to arduous work and dedication. I can't make this decision for you, it's all up to you." With that the teacher passed her, not waiting a single second for her reaction.

A hot tear rolled down Hikari's cheek. A feeling of exigency overcame her as she wiped her eyes. She had to leave, but nowhere to go. She needed Neko's strong hugs, her open ear, a shoulder to lean on, someone who didn't ask dumb questions. But Neko wasn't here. Hikari felt weak. So utterly alone. Alone with her thoughts. Alone with a monster lurking in the shadows, hunting her for no other reason than her existence. For possessing a power she never asked for. A power that could hurt, not only herself, but so many people, like her brother and mother had. A quirk that hurt, that _killed_ so many people. She detested it. She wished she had been born quirkless like her father.

* * *

"That was a bit hard, don't you think, Shouta-kun?" Hizashi poked his friend and co-worker in the shoulder who just turned around the corner, leaving a clearly devastated student behind.

"Some people need to learn it the hard way. I was stating the truth. I can feel a certain 1-A-ish stubbornness from her, but I don't like the direction she's going." Aizawa shrugged, his voice nonchalant. He earned an amicable slap on his back.

"Aww, you're afraid of adopting another child. It's okay, we all feel you. Everyone knows how much you actually like the kiddos."

"Just shut up."

* * *

Were they exaggerating by locking him up in a high-security prison? No. His mind wasn't dangerous, his body was. His quirk. His lack of control. He didn't know when it might decide to squeeze the life of his next-door inmate. Or anything in the cell. He had never wanted to hurt anyone or do anything bad. It just happened.

Dainigai thumbed through his book, a historical drama. He had also gotten a few on apiary. Maybe, if he was ever allowed to leave, he would get his own bees. Live somewhere on the countryside where no one would be endangered by him. He dreamed of green meadows, birds chirping. A dream his psychiatrist highly approved off. He had even told Dainigai that if he continued making such progress, he could be discharged early. Whatever that meant.

The ex-teacher walked across the room, grabbing a book about world history. He had read it multiple times in his life, not since he had been locked up last week though. He liked it most thanks to the pictures. Photographs of statues, paintings, war photography, all stretched across whole pages. They reminded him that there had been a world without quirks, an easier world, one where he could have lived in peace.

The ground shook. An earthquake? Weird. Dainigai continued skimming through the book. The ground shook again, this time it felt closer. Dainigai perked up his ears. He believed to hear strange sounds from the outside but that was impossible. Nothing could get to him here. Nothing.

The door flung open. It wasn't time for dinner yet, was it? He had eaten less than an hour ago.

A figure stepped over the doorsill. A figure he knew better than he liked. It couldn't be-

"Ah, there you are." It was him. The man responsible for his imprisonment. The man who had almost made him kill a student. Dainigai got up with shaking knees. "Wh-what do you want…?"

"Oh, man, don't be so frightened. It's not me you should be afraid of."

"Y-you, you made me…!"

"I," the figure laughed, "I didn't do anything aside from following orders and getting betrayed by that shit who gave me respective orders. Everything you did were you, and you alone."

Where were the guards? How did he get in here? Was this a dream? Dainigai took a wary step back, his heel crashing into the wall.

"Jeez, will you calm down? There's no one here. You can't run anywhere."

A familiar feeling rushed through his body. He immediately recognized the ignition of his quirk. "I-if you don't g-go, you might get hurt-"

"I'm not afraid of your quirk, old man. As I was saying, I have come with an offer.

"An offer?" he repeated drily. His legs were about to give out.

"Yes, an offer. I'm going after the man who's responsible for your demise. The one who wanted that student dead. The one who ordered me to go after you. And I'd like your help to beat him."

"I refuse." It was a whisper, not more.

"What?" the figure demanded.

"I-I refuse! I will not do anything illegal anymore-"

"Let me clear things up to you," he walked up to Dainigai, "this is not what I want you to say. And I hate it when things don't go my way. Think again. What's your answer?"

"I-I w-won't-" Something jerked the former teacher from his feet. He crashed face first into the cold, hard ground. He grunted.

"You will come with me, whether you like it or not."

* * *

"Those are all the notes Iida-kun and I made during your absence. We took turns every class, I'm sorry if mine aren't as organized as his." Izuku had the best friends he could have wished for.

"Thank you so much, Uraraka!" He couldn't help the tears streaming down his face as he looked at the pile of hand written notes from his friends, covering everything he had missed last week.

"That's what friends are for, right? Sorry we didn't hand you them earlier," the zero-gravity girl apologized but Izuku didn't mind. He had friends. People who thought of him even when he wasn't around. He had never had any friends before, not after he was diagnosed quirkless. He owed U.A. everything. He owed All Might for getting him here. He would be nothing without their support.

"I'll be looking at them after training, thanks again, it really means a lot."

Uraraka gave him a thumbs up. "You're so consistent with your training, Deku-kun! I really admire that. It makes me all fired up!" She threw a fist into the air. It raised a smile on Izuku's lips. He knew the girl was working hard as well. They all were. At the latest All Might's retirement had been a turning point in the students of 1-A's lives, if not one for the society as a whole. The death of a symbol. Even though his mentor was still alive, it felt like an era had come to an end. He didn't want to think about it.

Thanking his friend for the third time Izuku grabbed the papers and jogged up to his room. Checking the news on his phone set them down on his desk when an article caught his attention.

 _HOT! Prison Break_ , read the headline. Nothing new. _The culprit conducted for the attempted murder of a student of the prestigious school for quirkless, Seishin Academy, has been reported missing from the high-security prison in the prefecture of Shizuoka._

It couldn't be. Izuku froze. Dainigai-sensei? He blinked the irritation away and carried on.

 _The investigations are still ongoing, the circumstances unclear. Information has leaked that the prisoner did not leave his cell willingly. Words about heavily injured guards and devastation caused by a fight suggest someone from the outside broke into the prison and abducted the inmate, making this a rare case of prisoner kidnapping. For live updates visit us on your favourite social media platform._

This was bad. He couldn't shake the feeling that whatever had been going on behind the scenes of the incident at Seishin last week still wasn't over. He should inform Yaoyorozu about this. Just in case. As Izuku sent the link to the article to his classmate he paused, finger hovering above another contact.

 _Midoriya Hisashi._

He still didn't know if it was real. If the person writing him was actually his father. He had no means of finding out. He couldn't possibly bother his mum or All Might with it. It was something he had to face alone.

He clicked on the name, the messaging app appeared.

 _My dear Izuku_

Whenever he read those lines, anger boiled up inside him. His fingers moved before he knew. They pressed the send button before his brain caught up.

" _Oh. My. God. Ohmygod. What have I done?!_ "

Izuku found himself on the roof, more out of breath than he liked. The weather wasn't as nice as yesterday, rain dreading to fall any second. A reason he believed to have some time to himself up here, time to think about what he just did. He replied to that message. He did that. Izuku sighed, walking to a spot behind the stairway.

Green eyes met golden ones. This was not supposed to happen. That much to having the roof to himself.

After a moment of awkward staring Shikogane broke the quiet, "Hi."

"Hi," he replied flatly. They fell silent again. What was she doing here?

"If you, uhm, want to be alone, that's okay, I was just about to go," the girl muttered, coming to her feet. Izuku quickly protested, "Ah, no, I don't- I'll go-"

"No, it's fine, really-"

"Y-you don't have to get up-"

"I was about to lea-"

"I'm-"

They both fell silent again, baffled by how inapt they both were at dealing with the situation. Izuku couldn't hold back an embarrassed chuckle and even Shikogane displayed something akin to a grin despite the reddened eyes. Wait, had she been crying?

"The roof is big enough, so, uhm, if you wanna sit..." Shikogane gestured to her side. Izuku fumbled with the collar of his uniform. "If you don't mind?"

He slowly walked up to her, letting himself fall down in safe distance. Neither of them said anything. Maybe it was okay for both to dwell on their own thoughts. Izuku looked asquint at the girl, noticing that she also seemed to be torn between minding her own business and talking to him, if her fidgeting was any indication. She caught his eye. After some more fidgeting she finally let him know, "If Neko taught me anything, it's not to stick your nose into someone's business if they don't want you to. I won't pester you with questions, if that's what you're worrying about. I just know it's nice not to be on your own when you're not in a good place"

Izuku eyed her, conflicted. "Actually," he began, "I've learned the exact opposite. For heroes… It's basically a hero's duty to meddle with other people's problems, even if they don't want you to." Conflicting ideals. Was there a better example of the differences in the upbringing of an U.A. and a Seishin student?

Shikogane blinked, expression unreadable. She seemed to be contemplating his words. "Then Aizawa-sensei is right," she whispered almost inaudible. Izuku perked up. "Aizawa-sensei? What do you- Wait, shouldn't you be at your extra class?"

Shikogane's face fell. Izuku instantly knew he had said something wrong. Time to apologize. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't want to-"

"It's fine," she remarked, clearly not being fine with it.

"If you want to talk-"

"I don't," she retorted harshly, noticing her sharp tone a little too late. "I'm sorry, I… Thank you, but I'd rather not."

"Okay." What else was he supposed to say? What felt like the twentieth silence stretched between them. At least it kept him from thinking about his father… Talking about family. There was something he was dying to know, but it wasn't the right time to ask Shikogane about something personal like that. Then again, was it ever?

"I… I hate my quirk."

Izuku looked up. "What?"

"It's the reason I can't control it anymore. I hate it." Shikogane wrapped her arms around her knees, pulling them to her chest. "It sounds stupid, I know, but I hate it. So many people got hurt, so many things destroyed… Something like that shouldn't be controlled by anybody, much less by me. It shouldn't even exist."

What was he supposed to say to that? Izuku loved quirks. No matter how villain-esque they might seem, taking Shinsou Hitoshi for an example, he always managed to see the good in it. How it could be applied in assisting heroes, saving people. He couldn't accept anyone talking bad about them.

"Have you ever hurt someone? With your quirk, I mean." His curiosity got the better of him. Izuku bit his tongue, scolding himself for the slip up.

"But myself? No. But that doesn't matter. It doesn't matter who did-"

"Yes, it does," Izuku interrupted her, "it does a lot. Imagine a villain having All Might's power. They could bring the entire world to its knees if they wanted. But All Might didn't, because he's good. Quirks aren't good or evil, their holders are. Anyone can do good with a quirk, no matter how fearsome it might be. Thirteen could suck us all in, and yet he's a hero. So, you can be one, too."

Shikogane seemed to curl up even more. "Maybe I could if I was a good person. But I'm not."

Izuku grew steadily more worried. He disagreed once again, "Don't say that, you can-"

"You don't understand," her voice grew desperate, "I can't be a good person, I didn't do anything to help them, it's in my blood-"

Izuku took in a sharp breath. Memories of his "talk" with Todoroki before their fight at the Sports Festival flashed before his eyes. "You're not your family!"

He realized it late. On his feet again Izuku could only watch how Shikogane stared at him in disbelief, face pale, eyes wide, hands shaking. That was not what he intended to do. This wasn't how he wanted to ask her. It was supposed to be a motivational speech.

"I-I'm sorry!" he stammered, threatening to go into panic mode. This was bad. He had screwed up. "I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to say that!"

"How…?" It came voiceless. He couldn't blame her.

"I told All Might about the incident and he told me about Kumo and I did my research and they said she had two children, one quirkless, and you pretended to be quirkless at Seishin while that guy definitely was her son I just connected the dots and guessed-" he was rambling again, wasn't he? He needed to calm down. They both had to.

"I-if it makes you feel any better… Until recently, Todoroki-kun didn't use his fire side because he disliked it as well. He hated it because he got that part of his quirk from his father and he's, well, not the best person, I've heard. But he's learned to accept it as his own, he learnt to use it. If he didn't… I don't think either of us would be standing here today."

Shikogane's eyes didn't leave him. It took her an eternity to find the words, "He... did?"

"Yes! Yes, you can go ask him about it." Not that Todoroki-kun would tell her anything. But it was worth a shot. In any case, she seemed to be thoroughly considering his words.

Izuku managed to prevent the situation from escalating even more. He sighed in relief. Damage done, more casualties avoided.

"So… You're not scared?" That was a question he wasn't prepared for.

"Uhm, what? Scared of what?"

"You found out that my mother is a villain who killed god knows how many people and you know I have basically the same quirk? You realize I could kill you on the spot? Isn't that something to be afraid of?"

"You would probably kill yourself before reaching me," he jokingly said. The girl in front of him winced. He promptly added, "I-I m-mean, s-so could I! E-everyone in our class if you're being smart with it, actually." That, to his relief, caused Shikogane's expression to relax the tiniest bit. One step at a time.

"But how can I not be scared of it?" she asked in all honesty.

He didn't have a clue. He stared at his hands. Tattered, laced with scars. His finger joints were crooked, not a very pretty sight. How could he ask of someone not to be afraid of a power like that? He had never been afraid of using One for All, even if it hurt him. Because for one, it was All Might's power. How could All Might's power be bad? Second, he used it to help people. It was the only thing he ever wanted, to protect them. Even if it was self-destructive, it still brought good into this world. He could never be afraid of that.

Her power was another case though. Kumo had been a hero long ago, yes, but as far as he knew Shikogane had only seen her use it to whatever those villains were up to. What if his power hadn't come from All Might? What if he had earned All for One's quirk? How could he use that to bring peace instead of destruction?

Izuku was ripped from his thoughts when the girl patted on the empty spot at her left again. Seems their conversation hadn't come to an end yet. Izuku followed the invitation. He peeked over in curiosity, rendered speechless by the sight as the girl started rolling up her sleeves. He had been wondering why she always wore long tees at Seishin, even during P.E. Now he knew. Old scars adored her skin. Her arms were covered in cuts and misshaped spots.

"Half of these are self-inflicted by… You know. The other… My brother was instructed to train me when we were kids. He wasn't a fan of it, but it was a way for him to take out all his bottled-up feelings on me."

It dawned on him. They all shared the same quirk - more or less. If all of this had been inflicted by it… No wonder she was scared. No wonder she couldn't bring herself to like it.

"Looking at those makes me wonder how anything good can come out of it. All that comes to my mind when I think of it is pain."

Izuku had an idea. "But your quirk, it's not exactly like theirs, is it?"

Shikogane stared at him dumbfoundedly. He quickly waved his arms, attempting to explain, "I, I tend t-to take n-notes on all the h-heroes and villains I see, so uh, I made my observation and did my research and, your brothers quirk was black while yours had a golden colour? Also, he emitted it from his back while you used it from different body parts. And he didn't seem to have any problem with releasing it as you do. That's what I observed, at least."

Her expression transformed to astonishment. "You really are smart enough for Seishin, are you." It wasn't a question, more a statement. Izuku rubbed the back of his head, blushing slightly at what he believed to be a compliment.

"But you're right, in a way. While my brother inherited an exact copy of my mom's quirk, mine is a mutated form."

"Then, to be exact, you don't have the same quirk as them?

Shikogane opened her mouth, gaping at him like a fish. Various expressions washed over her face, until she settled for the few words, "I've… Never thought about it this way."

It was almost laughable. Izuku slowly began to understand what kind of person the girl at his side was.

"You tend to overthink, don't you?" he presumed.

"I guess."

"Then, we're a lot alike. But let's break it down for you. Even if you believe their quirk is evil, yours doesn't have to be. It's not the same, you haven't done bad with it. You still can do a lot of good."

"Hm." Izuku couldn't place if the sound was approving or not. Either way, he gave the girl something to reflect on. Taking a deep breath, he leaned against the railing, settling for another silence. To his surprise, Shikogane spoke up again, "That was actually pretty… Insightful. I will take your point of view into my consideration. But now… Do you... Would you, you know… Like to talk about your troubles? I doubt there's anything I can do or say to help, but if you need someone to listen, I promise I won't tell anybody."

He didn't expect her to take his advice from before to heart. He smiled at her brightly which caused the girl to get flustered. Not that he noticed, being the oblivious teen he was.

"Y-you were the one who started it, s-so I'm meddling with your affairs now. You said that's what heroes do. And we're at a school for heroes. So, I'm meddling."

He didn't answer right away. The breeze around them became more violent, the grey of the clouds above them grew darker. No doubt it would be raining soon.

"Are- Were you and your dad close?" An easy question. He didn't expect to be eyed with suspicion. Immediately, he added, "I, uhm, it's really a question, I haven't found anything about him, so, I just-"

"Well, that's typically," the girl huffed dryly, before turning back to him, "yeah, we were. Very. I was closer to him than anyone else. Even my mum."

"I see." Maybe it wasn't such a clever idea to talk with a stranger about this topic.

"You're not very close to your father, are you?" The girl assumed. Izuku just shrugged.

"To be honest, I don't even remember him. He was out of the picture for as long as I recall." A part of him wanted to reach for his phone to see if the man had replied, another part dreaded the possibility. In the end his phone remained at the bottom of his backpack, untouched.

Shikogane kept on watching him, not pushing but quietly expecting him to continue. He did.

"Recently… Last week at Seishin, I got a message from him. And I didn't know what to do." Izuku looked up, watching the first drops hit the ground before his feet.

"I was so confused, I didn't do anything for days. Not until before I came up here."

What if it had been a stupid idea? What if it wasn't even his father but some psychotic maniac-

"What did you write him?"

Izuku flinched. Now that he thought about it, it was the most stupid thing he could have done. "I was upset and- I asked him where he was all those years. Why he'd contact me now."

Dumb, dumb, dumb-

"That… Doesn't sound all too nice," Shikogane admitted, making him bow his head in shame, "still, I'd probably do the same in your position. He can't just show up without warning after what he pulled. He should be expecting it."

It didn't break the knot in his stomach but loosened it a bit. Maybe she was right. Maybe they were both at fault. After all, he hadn't made any efforts to contact his father either.

"Has he… Has he answered yet?" Shikogane wanted to know. Izuku's face turned into a grimace.

"I don't know."

"Do you want to?"

Did he? Why had he replied in the first place?

"If you don't feel up to it, you could always ask a friend to check for you," she suggested. Not a bad idea per say, but he didn't want to bother Iida or Uraraka with it. Especially since he hadn't told them anything about his family situation, despite being close friends for months. He wasn't ready for that conversation. Not yet.

"Do you want me to check for you?" The look he gave her must have been priceless. Shikogane bit down whatever expression she was about to make, pulling at a loose strand of hair that had fallen out of her bun. "I've read somewhere that it can be easier to confine in strangers. And we just confined very private matters in the other despite not really knowing the other. I'm just trying to say I could look, if you like. I wouldn't tell anyone."

Izuku considered the offer. He blinked as another drop of rain hit him right in the face. Maybe, if it started raining and he got too emotional and started crying as always, she wouldn't notice. More likely, he was being unrealistic and trying to find a way to procrastinate. His rational side got the better of him. The phone was taken from his backpack and placed in the girl's hand without sparing a glance at the display.

"Hisashi, Midoriya Hisashi is his name." Izuku's hands shook. He felt cold sweat drops building on his front. His breathing became flat. He watched Shikogane's eyes flit over the screen.

"... And?" His voice sounded alien. Unlike himself.

The few passing seconds were aggravating. His hair stood on end. Finally, the girl looked up, "He replied."

The world around him began to spin.

"Do you want me to read it to you?"

Unable to find his voice, Izuku nodded.

"Okay, I quote:"


	12. choices and extra class

Going over the list was more time consuming than anticipated. Carefully, Izuku weighed each option. In contrast to the one-week internship after the sports festival, all hero course students - including class B - could apply for the same agencies and had equal chances of being accepted.

Many of the names on the list belonged to lesser known heroes who seldomly appeared in the spotlight. They all had specialized themselves to very specific tasks, just as the Wild, Wild Pussycats focused on mountain rescues.

Izuku briefly considered sending an application to Meta Spy's agency, a hero able to link his brain with any sort of software, thus being able to identify cybercrimes. Technology wasn't Izuku's expertise, so he'd learn a lot of new stuff. Then again, he wouldn't be of much help to them with One for All. In the end, the young hero set his hopes up for joining a much different agency. One placed in the city of Oderon, led by a hero called Psy Doc. He was one of the plainest looking heroes Izuku had ever heard of, not even possessing a proper costume. The man was usually seen wearing a white, not fully buttoned dress shirt with rolled up sleeves and a dark vest on top. His quirk was neither named nor described in any official statements, but wildly discussed online. Izuku guessed it had something to do with losing its effect once it got known. Psy Doc and his employees usually showed up where situations were about to escalate, getting everything under control before people got hurt. He talked bank robbers into surrendering to the police, persuaded suicidal people to make another attempt at getting their lives under control. It piqued Izuku's interest. He had gotten into too many fights already… Maybe, for once, he could help people without getting beaten up by a villain. His mom would be overjoyed to hear about his choice as well. No fighting this time, no life-threatening situations. What could go wrong?

Two days later, Izuku never felt exhausted coming back to the dorms after spending a night at home. Usually, home was all about recovering, relaxing - if they didn't have any important assignments and exams the next week. This time, it had been hard. As expected, his mom had been happy about his choice and signed with pleasure. But the grateful smile Izuku gave her never reached his eyes. If she had noticed, she didn't let anything on. The whole weekend he was plagued by the guilt of not telling her about _it_. _The message_. His "conversation" with whoever claimed to be his father. He didn't have the heart to tell her. What if mom got her hopes up and it all ended up being nothing but a cruel joke? Izuku didn't even remember his father, so why should the man write him instead of his mother? His thoughts went back and forth, never reaching a conclusion. It was not only annoying and exhausting but also distracting. He needed to clear his head.

Izuku climbed up the stairs, entered the building and pulled his feet out of the red shoes. He suddenly became aware of how tattered they looked. He wondered if the same model was still available, it had been for the past three years, but you'll never know.

Just as he was about to leave the entrance, someone behind him opened the door. He blinked at Shikogane who looked worse for wear. Her dark circles seemed to have gone darker, the bun on the back of her head was messy, sweat shining on her front. She stared back at him bewildered, before blushing in embarrassment.

"Uhm, hi," he greeted awkwardly. She stammered an equally awkward "e-evening".

Not knowing what else to do he pointed to the corridor and announced, "I'm going up."

The girl nodded, looking at him without much emotion on her face. He turned, his legs quickly carrying him away, when she suddenly called him back, "Mi-Midoriya, wait a sec!"

Izuku stopped and turned back. The girl caught up to him and extended her bandaged arm. He glanced back and forth between the limb and her face, not understanding. Shikogane frowned.

"Just a second."

For a moment, nothing happened. Izuku wondered if it was rude to ask her what he should look out for, when a sudden wave of gold particles swirled through the air like liquid smoke. It caught him completely off guard, even though he had been warned. He remembered the cost of activating her quirk and moved his eyes away from the almost mesmerizing play back to her arm. He parted his lips to call the girl out for her reckless behaviour when he realized that the bandages were indeed ripped, but there was no blood. Soon, the particles disappeared, revealing unscathed skin. If he ignored the already existing scars.

"It takes a lot of focus, but I do know where to start now," Shikogane declared with something akin to pride. "I can do it. I'm gaining back control."

He couldn't help but putting on a smile. "That's great, Shikogane-san!"

"I just, uhm, wanted to thank you, Midoriya."

"What?"

"For the pep talk. It did help, I think," she scratched her neck, "so, I'm gonna take a shower. See you tomorrow." And she was gone. A little confused, Izuku shook his head before joining his friends in the common room.

"Welcome back, Midoriya! I hope you had a relaxing weekend with your family!" Typically Iida. Izuku waved.

"Yes, thank you, Iida-kun. What did I miss?"

"Hey, Deku-kun!" Uraraka also greeted him happily while Asui at her side waved back. "Not much aside from the whole internship thing. I had no idea who to choose, there were so many heroes and most of them we've never heard of!"

Her complaint was alien to Izuku, after all he had his notes on almost every hero around here. However, for less fanatic hero enthusiasts, it must have a lot been harder.

"Ah, Midoriya? You have notes on most heroes around here, don't you?" Asui wanted his confirmation. The green haired teen suddenly felt cornered.

"Yes…?"

"Oh, man," Uraraka slapped both her hand on her eternally blushing cheeks, "that would've been so helpful!"

He chuckled at the statement. "Sorry about that, I guess I took the worst time to leave."

She waved his excuse aside, "it's alright, Deku-kun!"

"Uraraka-san is right," Iida supported her, slicing through the air with a completely straight arm, "we had to master this info gathering ourselves. It's part of a hero's work, after all."

Izuku let himself down on the couch beside the class president. "So, what are you guys going for?"

"There is an agency not far from here specialized in rescuing people from collapsed buildings. Lots of them have strength enhancing quirks that allow them to lift rubble, but I think I can help as well by making the debris weightless and easier to carry off. It was the best I could think of."

He was impressed by how much thought she had put in her choice, how she already came up with a plan on how to be a valuable asset to the agency. That was more than he could say.

"That's amazing, Uraraka-san! You'll do wonderful!"

The girl went stiff, face flushing. Izuku almost believed she had accidentally used her quirk on herself, but she stayed in her seat. What he didn't see was Asui holding her down by the leg.

"I-i-it's nothing! Really! You should hear the others out, they've made super cool choices too! Right, Iida?"

The boy, pushing up his glasses, was more than ready to enlighten them, "I would not say cool, because it isn't very flashy work. But I do hope to get my first choice. It is not a very public job, but all the more satisfying on a personal level."

"On a personal level?" Izuku repeated. Now he was curious.

"Yes. The agency helps heroes who had been incapacitated and off duty for a while, helping them to get back into hero work."

"That is incredible, Iida-kun," Izuku confirmed Uraraka's statement with awe.

"Please, no exaggeration. After what happened to my brother, I just started seeing things in a different light."

* * *

"That's it for today's Homeroom. Don't forget to put your forms onto my desk," Aizawa reminded his class before disappearing in his sleeping bag. Immediately chatter broke out.

Hikari waited until the rest of the class was out. Not that she had any form to hand in. Still, she approached the yellow caterpillar of a teacher and carefully cleared her throat.

"Class is over, what do you want?" came the sleepy voice of Aizawa-sensei.

"I… I would like to carry on with extra class."

The sleeping bag rolled over, until a face came into view. "You do?"

Not knowing any better, Hikari settled for showing instead of telling. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She felt tingly under her skin. Once she opened her eyes, a golden stream came from the back of her hand. Aizawa watched for a minute, before a grin crept up his face.

"The gym, right after classes end."

Training with Aizawa-sensei was… Though. Nothing like the abuse of her brother, but harder than she expected. For the first few days she had to do nothing but to sit, legs crossed, producing as much particles from various body parts as she could. The result was… Devastating. By the end of the week her record lay at two minutes and thirty-four seconds before she threw up for the first time. Three minutes and eleven seconds before she passed out. Once again Hikari felt like an utter failure. She was embarrassed to wake up every day with recovery girl handing her a chocolate bar or any kind of sweets an hour after their training had unhoped-for ended.

She did her homework sitting with the others in the common room, not saying a word to anyone. They had gotten used to her being so closed off. Some, namely Momo and Tsuyu, sometimes Ashido tried to include her in group activities, but it always ended with Hikari excusing herself because she almost fell asleep while standing.

Her life only seemed to consist of school, training, eating and sleeping. She did a lot of the last two. Kirishima had once made fun of her for eating more than him and Mineta together, which Hikari just brushed off by explaining it was a side effect of her quirk. That got some of her classmates interested. Still, she didn't feel safe enough to show them yet.

At the beginning of her second week of extra classes, she asked Aizawa-sensei to teach her hand to hand combat. He just stared at her and bluntly wanted to know, "Why?"

She bit her lip. "I might have gained a little control over my quirk, but it's not enough to really do anything, let alone fight. And I don't want to be defenceless. We had self-defence classes at Seishin every Friday, but that's not enough… I… I don't want to be a hindrance. If I can't use my quirk, I at least want to be able to use my body."

For a few seconds, Aizawa kept mustering her, probably contemplating her words. Finally, he agreed, "Not a bad idea. But I'm not going easy on you. I'll teach you until you can't stand, then you're continuing with your quirk strengthening exercises. Are we clear?"

Hikari took a deep breath. She could do this. She had to do this, if she ever wanted to be able to face her brother.

"Yes, Sir."

By the end of the third week, Hikari felt utterly devastated. Neko got mad at her for repeatedly forgetting to call or not picking up. She didn't even have enough energy to shake off Hagakure and ended up sitting in the common area with half the class most evenings, listening to their conversations while almost falling asleep. It wasn't as bad as she had expected though. She learned that Satou was incredibly good at baking, not really a surprise considering his quirk. Also, Momo made very good tasting tea. They mostly gave her enough private space, so the most exciting moment ended being the one time she accidently initiated a meme battle in her sleep deprived state, surprising especially Kaminari with her involuntary wide range of memes, all thanks to Neko. She admittedly felt a sting though as Sero exclaimed he didn't expect her to have a sense of humour. The fact that both, Kyouka with her ear jacks and Tsuyu with her tongue slapped the boy made her feel a bit better. Hikari wondered how the whole situation would have went if she were a normal person with a normal life. And for the first time in years, her heart felt a different kind of heavy, loaded with the weight of longing for exactly this. Living a normal life. With her family and friends. No villains, no heroes, just finishing school, getting an ordinary job and dealing with mundane problems. Getting a pet. Moving out, marrying, having children, getting old and so on. Things she'd most likely never experience. Not as long as her brother and mother were still out there.

"Hikari-chan, are you alright?" Tsuyu pulled her out of her thoughts.

"Ah, yes, just… Tired. That's all."

"Aizawa-sensei is not going easy on you, is he?"

Hikari sighed. "No, but I don't want him to."

"How long do you think it will take until you can join us?" It was an earnest question. Hikari blinked at her classmate. "I don't know. I haven't really been thinking about that."

"Are you making any progress?"

Hikari flinched. She knew Tsuyu didn't intend to intrude and just showed concern, still… She didn't feel like she achieved anything. Her record had extended by thirty seconds, but it felt like nothing. She had made some progress with her fighting techniques, still not holding on more than a few seconds against Aizawa-sensei. And there was also the question how exactly to use her quirk. Her mother and brother mainly used it to grab and stab people, nothing she intended to do. The also used it to pull themselves up heights, the only move she had considered copying.

"It's not going all too well, then?" Tsuyu concluded.

"I don't know… It's complicated." Suddenly, Hikari was struck by an idea, "do you have something like a quirk expert at U.A.? Someone who could help me figuring out a few new ways how to put my quirk to good use?"

Tsuyu stuck her tongue out, looking around the room. "I would say go ask a teacher, but since you're already training with Aizawa-sensei, he's most likely already doing all he can. You said your quirk is creating some kind of particles? Maybe you can ask Momo-chan, her quirk is creation. Or Midoriya, analysing quirks is his hobby."

It was almost funny how she always ended up with these two. She had no other choice if she wanted to get strong enough to beat her brother.

"Thanks, Tsuyu. I will, tomorrow. I think I'm going to bed now."

"Of course, get your rest. Good night, Hikari-chan."

"Night."

When she was called to the principal the next morning, Hikari feared the worst. Her grades weren't bad, despite having joined the party late she had won a spot in the upper third of the class. Physically and quirk-wise as well as in hero related subjects she was far behind her classmates, but her grades in all other subjects were pretty high thanks to Seishin Academy's classes being more advanced than most other schools'. Clever minds were the only thing they could pride themselves with, after all.

The only two good reasons Hikari expected to be called here were either her family making trouble again or her attitude towards the rest of the students. Whatever it was, she was having none of it. She couldn't take being tossed around any longer. She just couldn't.

The girl knocked at the door anxiously, entered with dread. Hikari stared at the creature in front of her, its smile was soft, eyes sharp as it explained, "this meeting is a result of a request from your homeroom teacher."

* * *

 _Aizawa couldn't believe he was doing this. This class was his doom. Thanks to them he found himself sitting in front of the principal again, making a request._

" _What brings you to me, Shouta-kun?" Nedzu wanted to know, sipping his coffee._

" _I have a request. Concerning one of my students."_

" _Oh," the principal exclaimed in a rather sad tone, "which one are you thinking of expelling?"_

 _It was almost laughable. Of course, Nedzu would be expecting him to do such a thing. After all, months had passed and his class was still full. Overstaffed, actually. In any other year Nedzu would be happy to see a third of them making it through all three years, if any at all._

 _Aizawa sighed, gulping down half of his coffee at once._ _"I have a different kind of request today."_

 _Nedzu piped up._

" _About the new student, Shikogane, despite gaining some control over her quirk she has gotten worse rather than better. Training does mean to go beyond your limits, but she doesn't know when to stop, which might also be linked to her mental blockade. If she ends up at recovery girl one more time I have no choice but to expel her."_

 _A silence spread between the to. Aizawa could almost see the thoughts rushing through the principal's brain. After a while the creature simply commented, "That's rather unfortunate."_

 _One sentence and Aizawa knew Nedzu had seen through him. The non-human somehow knew he wouldn't have come if there wasn't more to it. So, 1-A's homeroom teacher came to the point, "I will be giving her one last chance if she successfully completes the internship."_

 _Black button eyes bore through him. Aizawa resisted the urge to look away._

" _You're suggesting letting her take the internship with the other students, knowing how precarious the situation could get?"_

" _I do." It was as simple as that. After another few silent seconds Aizawa again knew the principal was waiting for him to explain. And he did, "She has trouble connecting with the other students, also, being locked up in U.A. doesn't help. She's clearly starting to get so obsessed with the idea of beating her brother that she's forgetting everything else around her. I believe that if she were to see the world out there, what heroes do, how normal people live, it could help. It forces her to interact with them and maybe she'll understand that knocking herself out every time she uses her quirk is not a favourable option."_

" _Hm," Nedzu stated._

" _I know you already have a_ _way. Forcing her to live a life she doesn't want is worse than sending her out there with the risk of being killed off by some maniac."_

 _The principal smiled. He hadn't become the principal of U.A. by not being prepared for unlikely options. Of course, he already had a plan how to get Shikogane to participate in the internship without being exposed to danger. His smile told Aizawa that he had hoped for this exact request._

" _It's always a pleasure seeing how much confidence you have in me, Shouta-kun. Yes, I do have an option prepared for her. I'll make some calls. Everything should be clear by tomorrow morning."_


	13. all roads lead to Onderon - Psy Doc

Another meeting. Dragon endured the purple tinting his vision. Better safe than sorry. A secretary came in and brought them coffee. Staying true to his well-known reputation, he politely declined. The woman across lifted a thin eyebrow but chose not to comment. They shared a tense silence. Finally, the woman spoke up, stirring the hot brew, "You have come with news, I suppose. Why not share them?"

A grin crept up Dragon's face. In his mind, he already dominated the room. "Of course, my dear principal. I have news concerning the drug we spoke about last time. It is very close to being completed. With a little bit of sponsorship from your side, the process might accelerate."

"Do you have any proof?" The woman demanded, ignoring his not too well hidden request.

"Patience. A few days, and you will be witnessing a feast that will shake society at its core."

The woman shaped her thin lips to a sceptical "o" but showing thorough interest. She was in her forties, grey roots showing on top of her stern, otherwise black bob cut. Everything about her was sharp. Whether the look in her eyes, her long nails or her neatly tailored costume. The angled glasses underlined her intellect but were not enough to cover her cunning nature. An attribute she desperately needed to make up for what others called her "disadvantage". She herself never saw her quirklessness as a disability. To her it was only proof of those _abilities_ being completely unnecessary and providing nothing but a shortcut for those who would never achieve anything on their own, had they been born _natural._ And in her mindset, this was the exact reason the world needed more Institutions like her Seishin Academy.

"There is something that has been bothering me though."

"Enlighten me?" the principal urged.

"You, one of the most brilliant minds born into this society - and I'm not saying this out of flattery - you, who are so desperately in need of that drug, why would you choose me as your middle man?" He lulled the woman into false security, letting her believe she had the upper hand. Obviously, he already knew the answer to his question. She needed him. She needed him, so her business could never be traced back to the Yakuza.

"I'm sorry, Dragon," the woman smiled devilishly, "one does not simply reveal all their secrets."

"Of course." She was smart. But not nearly as smart as him. "You are absolutely correct."

* * *

Four weeks. Four goddamn weeks and he had only been out twice. Tomomo slowly concluded that Neo Kumo purposely tried to drive him into madness. He picked on the short hair tickling his front, a bad habit he formed unwillingly. He went over the reports the woman had brought him this morning. He never caught her name. Judging by her look though, she was related to Neo Kumo. They had the same features, the same look in their eyes, the same coldness in their voice. Either she was his mother or aunt, considering the age difference.

Which meant she could very well be the one who murdered his parents.

He tried not to think about it. Not if he wanted to survive another day. Gulping down the anger he persuaded himself that he had more important matters to tend to. Staying alive, for example. What made it a little easier was the way she treated him. She was, in a weird way, friendly. Not exactly warm, but she was polite and sometimes even accommodating. It was hard to believe she probably went out killing people on a daily base. Maybe that was exactly her thing. Not seeming like a killer. Maybe that was how she got his parents to follow her before she _tortured_ and brutally _murdered-_

 _Don't think about it, breathe_ , he told himself.

Tomomo skimmed through a file. A possible ally. If he hadn't already been smitten by Dragon. A name Tomomo learned not to mention, if he planned to stay alive. And yet it was exactly that man's plan Neo Kumo wanted to disrupt. Something would be going down in the city of Onderon next week, something big. What, he had no clue. Neo Kumo had set him up to find as much info on this coming event as possible while being locked up in here. So far, Tomomo had mostly consulted him or talked him out of doing something incredibly stupid. While being street smart, Neo Kumo didn't seem to have a remarkably high intellect. How did he mange to stay hidden for all these years?

"Pack up, we're going."

If he had been elderly, Tomomo was sure he would have just died from a heart attack. He whirled around, almost falling off the office chair. "What?"

Neo Kumo stood a few desks away. He threw an empty bag towards the ex Seinshin student.

"We're leaving for Onderon. Get your things, don't leave any traces, and don't forget that drive or I'll make sure you'll join those framed pictures on the wall."

No, he didn't like the idea of being nailed to the wall by Neo Kumo's quirk. Tomomo disconnected the USB drive from the old computer and grabbed anything he remembered using the past four weeks.

* * *

"Has everyone got their toothbrush?"

"Is he our class president ort mother?" Jirou commented while passing Iida who had made it his duty to remind everyone of all the things they could in any way need the next few days. Not for naught though, since both Kaminari und Mineta stormed back into the dorms to get something. Meanwhile, Tooru agreed, "Well, he can be both!"

"But wouldn't that make him our class dad?" Kirishima joined in, only to sprint away a second later to calm Bakugou. He sure seemed even more explosive than usual.

"You okay, bro?"

"Don't fucking make fun of me, shitty hair!" Anyone else would be offended. Kirishima, being used to his friend's outbursts brushed the comment away, knowing the anger was not directed towards him. "At least we can all take part in a real internship now!"

"Internship?" Bakugou spat, "They're hogtieing me to a damn office chair to help some loser who's not even in the top hundred! What the freaking hell is this?"

Sharing the same fate at another agency, Todoroki watched the exchange bemused. He couldn't understand how anyone would befriend Bakugou willingly. He was a formidable opponent and would become one of the strongest heroes in the future, no doubt, but his attitude remained shitty. For the lack of a better expression. Something the ice and fire wielder himself still had to work on, but at least he wasn't screaming "DIE" at everything in front of him. Shaking his head, Todoroki joined Midoriya in front of the bus that would bring them up to the train station.

Izuku had just put down the metal briefcase with his costume. He suddenly got nervous, reality sinking in. They were going on another internship. He just hoped that this time it wouldn't end with him having to save his friend from a fanatic murderer or being abducted by a winged Nomu. They had been lucky to survive the last time. Speaking of the Hosu incident, Todoroki joined him wordlessly. Izuku smiled at his friend, greeting him, "Good morning, Todoroki-kun!"

"Morning, Midoriya."

"Deku-kun!" Uraraka jogged up to them before they could exchange any more words, "I'm so excited!" Her hair was dishevelled, eyes heavy lidded, still half asleep. Behind her Tooru clapped - which they couldn't see, but they heard the sound - adding, "Aah, I almost couldn't sleep! Aren't you two worried with what happened last time?"

The boys exchanged a knowing look, Iida still loudly advising behind their backs.

"Not a good topic?" Tooru realized, dropping the subject. Instead, she pointed towards Aoyama who had at least twice as much luggage as everyone else. No idea why he needed that much for a single week.

* * *

Hikari watched them from the window. Principal Nedzu had assured her that everything had been thought through to the smallest detail, and that she shouldn't be afraid of leaving the well protected campus. They would bring her directly to the agency by car, in company of at least two of U.A.'s famous heroes slash teachers.

So far so good. If only she hadn't caught a glimpse of her so-called hero costume. She hadn't even considered ever wearing one, let alone handing in requests on how it should look like or which functions were most suited for her not yet existent fighting style. The result of not having a word lay down to her feet in a metal suitcase looking just as all the other students'. And she dreaded wearing it. Apparently, she only got an office job. Maybe they would let her work in her civilian clothes. After all, she didn't even have a hero name yet.

Knowing her luck, next week would be all "Hikari the useless hero in training, wearing a skin-tight purple-black bodysuit with too revealing cut-outs to ease the use of her quirk, which she definitely wouldn't need". Yay.

Hikari watched the bus leave. For a moment she wondered if she should have told them. Then again, probably not a good idea.

* * *

They bid their farewells at the train station where Izuku had to board alone. It was a three-hour drive to Onderon. He spent most of the time dozing off, only to be awoken by the class chat blowing up. He ignored most of the messages - pictures of landscapes, futuristic buildings, funny people sitting in the rows in front - all similar to the things he found around himself. He closed the chat. His eyes travelled down to another message. He went over the words again and again, reading it for the 500th time. At least that's what it felt like.

" _My dear Izuku"_

It looked wrong. Only his mom was allowed to call him that.

" _Words cannot express how rejoiced I am to hear from you. Don't worry, son, your words do not offend me. I know I've earned them. But don't worry, everything will make sense once we're united. You'll see soon._ "

 _You'll see soon_. Could it be? Was there a chance his father would visit while he was in Onderon? Should he warn his mother? If it was fake… No. Izuku put the phone back in his pocket and relaxed against the upholstery of the train seats. There was still time for another nap.

Average. It was the best way to describe the impression the city itself left on him. Lots of buildings, busy streets, an average sized train station. The most unique characteristic was its topological situation. Situated on a languet, it could only be reached from the north east, unless boarding a ship. The sky was clear, a note of salt laying in the air as Izuku got closer to the sea. Psy doc's agency was straight ahead on the southern edge of the city, close to a public beach. Most ports lay on the exact opposite side of the almost peninsula.

Number 14. The young hero in training came to a halt in front of a medium sized office building. He went through all the company logos listed beside the door bells twice until he found his destination. Black block capitals on a white ground. Not very distinctive. Then again, so was the hero the agency belonged to.

No more than fifteen minutes later Izuku had already been shown around the agency. It was smaller than he expected. Tiny, to be honest. Psy doc had two sidekicks and one secretary. The sidekick showing him around was a young woman not much older than him, a psychology student as she had explained, with a voice that could put people into a state the sidekick only described as "high". A very interesting quirk.

"Doc will be back in a minute," the young woman, Tsukage Sizumi aka SingSong, announced, "I'll show you your room. My partner, the other sidekick, took some days off so he agreed to let you have his it until the end of the week."

The room was tiny as well, not bigger than his own at the U.A. dorms. After only a few minutes he settled in as good as possible. His gaze fell onto the metal suitcase at the foot of the bed. He opened it, deliberately taking the green jumpsuit in his hands. It had been fully repaired. Kudos to the support department.

Someone knocked at the door. Izuku got up, only to find SingSong greeting him in the corridor, "Hey, buddy! Doc's back. Come on, time to introduce yourself!"

The left the small room just around the corner of the office. Izuku still wore his U.A. uniform, unsure what the pro hero expected of him. They returned to the small office which basically consisted of one large room with four working desks and a small dining area. On the desk in the back sat a man Izuku immediately identified as the _Persuasive Hero: Psy Doc._ He wore his trademark white dress shirt with the rolled-up sleeves, brown hair tied back in a small ponytail, a short stubble on his chin. He held a pair of glasses in one hand, the other occupied by clicking through whatever work he had opened on his computer.

Psy Doc's gaze wandered to Izuku. As soon as their eyes met, Izuku felt _intruded_. He gulped, his confidence slowly crumbling away. Psy Doc averted his eyes. Promptly, the knot in Izuku's chest disappeared. Could that be his quirk?

"I'm sorry about that, kid, but I like to know what I'm dealing with. You're Midoriya Izuku?"

"Yes, sir!" God, why was his voice so thin?

"Good. As you already know, I'm Psy Doc, but the others call me doc. I don't usually tell people my real name to keep my wife and children out of this, before you ask."

"I-I see…" That made sense. Not that it would be too hard to figure out his identity, but it was better than no precaution at all.

"Well, then, Midoriya-kun - I will only use your Hero name outside - what do you expect from this week assisting us?" Doc fetched something from his top drawer, only for SingSong to rip it from his hand. "Not inside!"

It was a pack of cigarettes. Izuku had never seen a hero smoke before. Doc sighed but didn't protest. Instead, he turned back to the U.A. student in front of his desk. "I'm listening."

Again, their eyes locked. Again, Izuku felt exposed. It was impossible to lie under Doc's gaze. Not that he had planned on lying, but it remained an interesting discovery.

"I, uhm," he had had weeks to prepare for this internship. And yet he had no idea what to tell the man. "I, I'd like to learn something new. A lot of new things, different things. It's always about fighting villains, beating them with raw strength, but you're not like that. You solve problems before they escalate. You stop crime without violence. I'm not sure how you do it, because I didn't find anything on your quirk, so I'd like to get to know you more. I want to know how to fight without my fists." Feet would have been a more fitting analogy, but Izuku doubted Doc would get the hint.

Doc didn't react to his answer at all. Instead he continued asking, "And why do you want to be a hero?"

"I-" A surprisingly hard question. Why did he want to be a hero? Why did All Might choose him?

"I… I can't just stand by when I see other people needing help. I want to save them with a smile, give them hope."

"Save them with a smile, like All Might?"

Izuku blushed. "Uhm, yeah."

"So, you want to be as strong as All Might?"

Something about this question rubbed him in the wrong way. "N-no, not exactly. In a way, yes, but… He told me he couldn't save anyone, so he'd save those in his reach. I want to do more than that. I want to be a hero who saves everyone. And I know that's impossible, it sounds childish, but I will try and do my best. I want to be a hero, so I can save everyone."

Psy doc stared at him. The seconds seemed to last an eternity. Then, the Pro Hero smiled.

"I see. Sounds good enough to me. What do you think, Tsukage-kun?"

The young woman lifted both her hands and gave a double thumbs up. "A little awkward, but very nice and polite. Good hero material." It was a load off Izuku's mind.

"Let see what we can do today, Midoriya-kun. Better change into your costume. I'll prepare some maps, so you can familiarize yourself with the environment, then Tsukage-kun will show you around the city. Enough other heroes are patrolling the streets to deal with incidental crimes, so don't mind them. She'll know when to call me and when not."

* * *

Dragon sat at the desk in his small makeshift HQ. All players had arrived. He listened to his subordinate describing a few minor problems they had to deal with before the operation. Nothing serious. Everything would be going according to plan.

 _t-34 hours_


	14. the beginning of the end

Feeling the familiar support of his hero costume, Izuku followed SingSong outside. She did an excellent job showing him around, explaining all he had to know about the areas, where to expect to run into a situation and where to least expect it.

"But don't dwell in false security," the sidekick reminded him, "you never know. This part of town is rather calm. Up by the port, that's where most of the illegal business goes down. It's not our territory, though."

"Territory?" Izuku repeated.

"Yep. All the heroes here have their own territories. They usually only collaborate in dire situations. Our agency is a little special though, since we're specialized in de-escalation. We're often called before the others if the situation doesn't demand violence yet. Should we fail, the respective heroes are called in."

Trying to digest this information, Izuku nodded. The system seemed a little strange, but it had to be working. Otherwise, Onderon would be in the news from time to time.

They passed a family whose children excitedly waved at them. Fans, according to SingSong. The young woman nudged Izuku in the ribs, until he waved back awkwardly.

After passing the same busy street twice Izuku realized, "You're not just showing me around. We're patrolling."

SingSong grinned. "Sharp mind. Doc's gonna like that."

"Is this a test? If it is-"

"Intern," the young woman stopped and poked him between the eyebrows, "your whole life is a test. So, don't get all nervous on me now."

He was about to ask another question when the unmistakable burst of a window glass echoed through the street. Izuku whirled around, searching for the source of the noise. A few hundred meters down the road, a crowd began to form.

"Ah, that must be the bank," SingSong simply stated. Izuku turned to her, "What bank?"

"Poor proprietors. This is the second time this month someone tries to rob them."

Immediately, his alarm bells rang. "Wait, someone's trying to rob them?!"

"Most likely." She folded her arms, not moving any further.

"Then why are we just standing here?! Aren't we supposed to-"

"Sidekick," she cut him off," did you listen to anything I said?"

"Wha- I-I did! But-"

"Then you _should_ know _,_ that this isn't our job. It's too late for that."

"But we can't just stand here-"

"Listen, young man," SingSong grabbed him by the arm and dragged him away, "you might have a quirk suitable for combat, but I don't. And what are you going to do? Burst in without a plan?"

"Of course not! But-"

" _No more buts!_ The hero responsible for this area will arrive shortly, I'm sure of that. You have to trust them."

"But what if they won't make it in time?" Izuku couldn't believe what he was hearing. Were they abandoning people, hoping someone else could do better? It was against everything he believed in. SingSong groaned.

"You're one hell of a pig head. There's nothing we _can_ do, even if we could, U.A. has left us with special instructions to not let you engage in direct confrontations. Didn't you say yourself you wanted to learn to fight without your fists? That's lesson number one."

That was not what he meant with those words. Unable to tear his gaze from the crowd Izuku stumbled, still being dragged by the sidekick. Sirens approached, two police cars clattering past them. Something dashed over their heads, leaving a gust of wind.

"See? That's him, the responsible hero. He's a good guy. Trust him. Come on, I'll show you the beach."

With these words, Izuku was dragged, with less force than before, away from the incident. The arrival of the hero only left him with so much reassurance. And no matter how beautiful the beach was, he couldn't untie the knot in his stomach for the rest of the day. His heart still felt heavy after he crashed down on the foreign bed that night, too many thoughts cursing through his head to let the tiredness take over. He wouldn't catch much sleep tonight.

The young hero in training woke up with one of the worst headaches he had had in a while. It was still early. He had enough time to exchange a few messages with Iida who was, to no surprise, already up as well. Izuku knew Uraraka well enough to not wake her from her slumber, but checked her messages from yesterday as well, queuing up a text he'd send later that day. He also got a message from Todoroki, asking what his agency was like, and what felt like a hundred useless memes in the 1-A group chat. Damn, didn't Kaminari sleep at all?

When he arrived at the bureau, the others were already having a vivid discussion. The secretary, a kind looking, middle aged woman introduced herself. She immediately offered him some pain killers after asking if he felt alright since he looked a little pale. Izuku didn't quite know whether to accept or not. Good thing the choice was taken from him.

"Good morning, Midoriya-kun. Please join us for a moment," Psy Doc instructed. Izuku did as told.

"Is something the matter?" he asked cautiously. Doc smiled, seemingly content.

"I see Suzumi-kun wasn't lying about you. And I won't lie to you either. It seems something... unpleasant is on the way. We've been contacted by the local hero network that multiple suspicious gatherings have been sighted. It could be nothing at all, but we'll stay cautious for today. I know you did stick to the rules yesterday, as unpleasant as they may seem, so I trust you not to do anything rash. Either way, I just want to make this clear."

"O-okay…" There wasn't much else he could answer. The Secretary whom he didn't notice had left, returned and slipped him something against his headache. He thanked her.

Meanwhile, Doc got up, leading Izuku out of the office.

"It's only your second day, but there's something else I'd like to talk to you about." He reached for his cigarettes, this time ignoring SingSong's protests, and left through the front door. Izuku followed.

"Yesterday," the man began, "you told me about your motivations. Today, I'll tell you about mine. It's only fair. But first: You have a very strong sense of what's right and wrong, jumping in to save everyone around you."

The young hero in training flinched at the phrasing. He was pretty sure Doc was hinting at his little disagreement with SingSong yesterday.

"It might comfort you to know that the robbers from yesterday were all apprehended, without casualities."

What a relief. But Psy Doc wasn't finished, "Has it always been your plan to become a hero?" Despite being framed as a question, Doc already seemed to know the answer. Still, Izuku replied, "Yes, always. Since I can remember."

They left the building. Doc led him down the same road as SingSong did the day before. He lit a cigarette.

"You see, not everyone shares the same views, the same enthusiasm as you. Your intentions might be some of the truest I've ever felt."

Something about these words left an uneasy feeling with Izuku.

"I, for example, never intended to become a hero. Not once."

"You didn't? But your success rate is at over ninety percent!"

"Only because I'm good at it, doesn't mean I enjoy it. I'm conscious enough to use my talents for good, though."

 _That_ explained a lot. His whole attitude. Why he didn't bother to climb up the ranks. Why he didn't invest in a hero costume. Full of questions only a second before, Izuku was at loss for words now. His eyes travelled to the road ahead. His mind wouldn't understand. How could anyone not want to save those who couldn't fend for themselves?

"Why," he began, "are you telling me this?"

Doc blew out another cloud of smoke, watching it ascend into the air, dissolving above their heads. "Before being hell-bent about saving something, you have to understand it. I want you to understand the world we're living in, so you know what exactly it is you're trying to save."

That made sense, in a way. Nothing could stop Izuku from saving people, but he understood where Psy Doc came from. The boy nodded, waiting for the other to continue. The man led him down a residential street.

"I can feel that you understand." There it was again. That suspicious phrasing. "I always found people's minds rather… Interesting. I studied psychology, got a PhD. I also wanted to get a medical degree but stopped after a year. After I saved no less than four people within these twelve months. It all started with a fellow student who tried to kill himself after failing the exams and dropping out. Then, there was this junkie who almost shot a cashier. I convinced him to stop. A young man who wanted to burn down his ex-girlfriend's apartment. A young mother who wanted to abandon her child because she couldn't pay for her rent. Thanks to my knowledge of human psychology and my quirk, I was able to talk them out of it. That's when I realized that I had no choice. Whether I liked it or not, I had the perfect qualifications for this job. And I did get to know my wife that way, so that's not too bad."

In a weird way… Izuku could relate. If he hadn't met All Might that fateful day, he'd still be quirkless, unable to achieve his dream. Forced to be something he never wanted to. Psy Doc had accepted his fate and made the most out of it. Something Izuku probably wouldn't have been able to.

Oh boy, this internship was going to be hard to digest. After quite the pause, the young hero in training was plagued by another question, "Can you feel what other people feel? Is that your quirk?"

Psy Doc chuckled. "You're getting close. Keep up the good work and I might tell you by the end of the week, if you haven't found out by yourself by then."

* * *

"All is set. Awaiting your orders."

The day had come. The _days_ that would change people's mindset forever. Dragon had a good feeling about this. Whether this operation succeeded or not, he'd win either way.

"Very well. Let phase one begin at noon."

* * *

"You don't look very comfortable."

No kidding. Skin-tight spandex suit with cut-outs that didn't do much to hide her insecurities, to hide really anything at all: check. A crowded office with too many names to remember: check. Some obnoxious other interns keeping her from getting any work done: check. Hikari went over the question once again, then looking up the best fitting answers in a catalogue. Apparently, helping a hero agency with their PR work was the safest thing U.A. had come up with.

Hikari shivered. She wasn't cold but feeling incredibly queasy.

"Are you sure you're alight?" the young man, promoted from intern to hero only a few days ago, inquired.

"Yes, thank you." She didn't even look up until the young hero ruffled her hair. "Hey-"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're the one with the premonition quirk." He chuckled, patted her head and left. Hikari looked after him. He was the one assigned to look over her in this crowded agency that held almost fifty employees. He had a premonition quirk that gave him pain whenever something bad was going to happen. The worse the pain, the more horrible the incident. It wasn't a very pleasant quirk and Hikari felt an odd sympathy for him. She wasn't the only one with a quirk that inflicted pain to its owner. In a weird way, a comforting thought.

The girl found an answer in the catalogue that seemed to fit the question asked in the interview rather well and got to work. Only a little bit of phrasing left to alter, and it suit perfectly.

"Still not looking any better."

Hikari groaned. He was back again. "Don't you have anything better to do?"

"At the moment? Not really. I actually had a lot more work as a sidekick. Now it's just waiting for cases, incidents to happen." He leaned over, reading the answer she had started typing. Hikari rolled to the side with her chair, bringing distance between them. His quirk might not have been very flashy, but what he lacked there he compensated with his looks and costume. And he knew it. With a handsome face, piercing blue eyes and tight leather clothing, he'd sure be swarmed by fangirls in no time, raising his not yet existent popularity in the hero polls.

"Divination," Hikari called him by his hero name, "I can't work like this. Please mind your own business, I'll come to you if I need anything." She couldn't quite suppress the aggressive undertone in her voice. Divination turned to her, smiling unperturbed.

"Aww, so eager to work. The world could need more diligent people such as you."

She huffed, sure of the underlying sarcasm in his voice.

"Okay, okay, I'll get it. I'll be over there if you need me." Divination stepped back, letting her return to her spot in front of the computer. Sighing, Hikari stretched her arms and turned to the screen. Just three and a half more days.

Without warning, something heavy but soft landed on top of her head. She suppressed a cuss, ripping the thing from her head. It was a leather jacket. Divination's leather jacket. Hikari whirled around, catching one last glance of him giving her a thumbs up before disappearing behind the corner. She hissed furiously. At least he was gone now.

After crashing down on the chair again, she moved the jacked from the catalogue. She would not give him the satisfaction of running after him. She had work to do.

 _Well_ , she thought, _I might as well put it to good use_. She wrapped the jacked around her shoulders, feeling at least a little more protected from other people's stares. Maybe that had been his goal, he was a hero after all.

One hour. That was the longest he had let her be. Hikari glared as she caught side of him approaching her. Divination grinned, showing his straight teeth and announced, "Five more minutes! Gonna join me and the sidekicks for lunch again?"

Not that she had much of a choice. "Sure…"

"Full of pizzazz, I see! You might need to work on that if you want to be a popular hero."

Popular. Hero. Hikari couldn't think of two lesser likely words to describe her. So, she shrugged.

"Hey, you should add a jacked like that to your costume. Looking good."

It took her a few seconds to realize that she was still wearing his jacket, leaving him in his black shirt. She turned back to the computer, trying not to blush. Five more minutes to focus on her work rather than Divination's stupid comments. Three and a half, actually. Hikari took a deep breath, collecting her thoughts. She didn't even notice that Divination was unusually quiet until he heard a pain filled gasp coming from behind. The coworker on her left came to his feet, calling the hero's name, "Divination!"

It was enough to shift everyone's attention to the young man. Both his hands were clawing his shirt above his chest, his torso bent towards the floor. They couldn't see his face, but his panting was indication enough. He felt something. His quirk was warning him. Divination toppled over.

Two employees as well as Hikari rushed to his side. He started twisting, screams escaping through bared teeth.

"Get the heroes," one of the employees kneeling beside the hero screamed, "something terrible is going to happen! I don't think he's ever been that bad in all his time here!"

Hikari just stood there. She had no idea what to do. She couldn't help him. She couldn't do anything. Then, someone else by the window cried out, "It's out there! Something's coming from the port!"

Panic rose in Hikari's chest. Unable to move she eventually tore her gaze from Divination up to the windows. Some sort of dark, seemingly impenetrable mist ascended between the buildings, covering the sky above.

Divination screamed.


	15. a declaration of war

Izuku and Psy Doc were walking side by side, not talking a word when the blackness took over. They both stopped in their tracks. "What is that?!"

"I don't know, but it doesn't look good. We better head inside, just to be sure," Doc ordered. The people around them noticed the blackness consuming as well. Some gasped, many froze, nervously watching the phenomenon. Doc yelled at the forming crowd without hesitation, "Everyone, get inside the buildings! This is a pro hero speaking! Do not freak out, please get inside!"

Within seconds the atmosphere changed drastically. People were running all over the please, Izuku got almost knocked over. The streets were busy with men and women on their way to work, all of them storming to the nearest doors. Doc yelled over the panicking mass, trying to calm them. The pro hero grabbed Izuku by the sleeve before the teenager could get swept away. They waited until the street was mostly clear before following their own instructions, the black mass covering the sky dangerously close. They found the tiniest bit of space left in a small convenience store. The sky was fully engulfed in black, the city shrouded in darkness. The street lights were turned on, revealing a ghostly empty city.

"Deku, call SingSong, see if she knows anything." Doc continuously watched the sky while addressed the shop clerk, "turn on the TV, radio, anything!"

The clerk, visibly frightened, rushed to the other side of the sales counter. He fidgeted with the remote before the screen came to life. Or rather should have come. There was nothing but noise and static. The clerk tried a few more buttons, to no avail. Izuku meanwhile had the same amount of luck; none. He tried for the third time before announcing, "I can't reach her, there is no reception."

A middle-aged woman, one of the many people who had fled inside the store, stepped forward. "What is this thing? Is it dangerous? Are we trapped?"

Frightened mumbling filled the air. Psy Doc turned back to the glass door. "Don't panic. Whatever this thing is, it doesn't seem to get closer. Still, stay inside."

"Are we-" another civilian began only to be interrupted by a feed coming to life on the TV screen. Brightly illuminated by a spot light a figure stood on the top of a building, everything around disappearing in darkness. He seemed to be somewhere in this city.

"Dear citizens," the man in his expensive looking suit began, "this day will mark not only your awakening, but the enlightenment of the entire world. Do you feel safe? Do you feel cared for by the system? Are you happy living in this society?"

No one dared to breathe. The camera closed in on the man. He didn't bother to hide his face behind a mask. He proudly presented his sharp, handsome features, the a tad too big looking eyes, the unruly, short hair, the freckles dusting his cheeks. There was something about him. Izuku couldn't place it, but there was something familiar about this man. He felt a knot building inside his stomach and it wasn't due to the ominous circumstances.

The man placed his slender, tightly bandaged fingers on his chest right above the heart and preached, "I am Dragon. Today I will show you the truth. The truth behind all the lies they feed you day by day. Do you believe in your heroes? Do you think they will be able to save you after letting _this_ ," he gestured around himself, "happen? Then let me guide you. I will show you how feeble the system is, how useless. An utter failure, hiding all its mistakes behind a few small victories. Heroes, I speak to you now. You are cut off from the outside world. What will you do? Will you try to run and hide? Or will you fight and die a meaningless death? We'll see. Let the hunt begin."

The feed disappeared, leaving behind the same static as before. It only took a handful of seconds before the people went berserk. They all cried different things at the same time, many turning towards Psy Doc and Izuku, throwing terrified questions at them. Psy Doc didn't answer. He seemed deep in thought. Izuku tried his best to calm them without much success. Finally, Psy Doc spoke up, "Alright everyone, time to calm down! We will find out what's going on. Stay in here and try not to panic!"

He didn't wait for any kind of response. Looking at Izuku, he pointed to the door with a nod of and left. One last time Izuku reassured someone that everything was going to be fine before following the hero.

The street was empty. Cars stood crisscross at the crossroads, some of their doors still open, left in a hurry. Faces were glued to the windows of the buildings around them, watching their every move.

"It's a declaration of war," Psy Doc simply stated. Izuku threw one last glance at his phone. Still no reception. He gave up. "What are we going to do now?"

"Exactly what I said. We're going to find out who the guy is, why he's doing this and how we're going to stop him." Psy Doc lit a cigarette. "We're going to regroup with some other heroes, make a plan," he explained, "we have a disaster strategy. They should be at the meeting point soon."

* * *

They came only minutes after the broadcast aired. The pros had been animatedly discussing their plans in a conference room, most of the sidekicks were busy bringing the office workers and other interns to a safer location in the building. Hikari refused. She doubted anywhere would be save. Besides that, she kind of wanted to stay with Divination. The young man had passed out from the immense pain his quirk caused.

There was a couch for waiting customers behind a corner, usually used by the younger employees during the breaks. They had heaved Divination up there, waiting for his consciousness to return.

Then they came.

Commotion broke out not too far from the office. Multiple heavy steps could be heard outside. A woman screamed. Hikari was on high alert. She shook Divination, trying to wake him up. The heroes were so engrossed in their argument, they only realized what was coming for them once it was too late. The door was ripped off its hinges, bursting on the wall behind. Hikari yanked Divination from the couch, bringing him down behind the armrest. The heroes stormed out of the conference room, walking right into the villain's arms. It happened way to fast. A fight broke out, sending furniture flying, smashing computers, quirks colliding. Hikari watched, frozen. This couldn't be happening. There were too many villains. The heroes weren't prepared. They were _losing_ the fight. She had to move. She needed to assist them, she needed to fight-

The girl was dragged back to the floor by the hood of Divination's jacket. Speaking of the young hero, he was awake. Barely, visibly in pain again, but determined.

"It's too late," he breathed, voiceless. Hikari argued. "It's not, they're still fighting! I have to help them-"

"We can't help them anymore, we… We need to warn the others."

"I'm not leaving-!"

Divination grabbed her by the collar with what strength he could muster up, "Being a hero also means to know when to stop. I can't fight like this and you are no match for them…" She hated it. She hated it with every fibre of her being, but he was right.

Something crashed into the wall, mere centimetres beside their heads. They ducked. It was a miracle no one had noticed them. The fight was getting less wild, meaning one side had almost lost. Hikari peered over the armrest. A villain with spikes as long as her forearms turned. Hikari pressed Divination to the floor. She didn't dare to breathe.

"Is it all of them?" Someone said.

"There's still one missing, a guy with black hair and staff. Plus, the two sidekick who escaped earlier."

It was silent. Then someone groaned.

"Looks like this one's still alive. Let's ask him about the missing guy."

Divination poked Hikari in the shoulder. He pointed to the window. She understood. Peeking over the armrest once more, making sure the villains' attention was directed somewhere else. From the cut out in her sleeve she let a tiny string of particles flow across the floor. They reached the wall, climbing up to the latch. A horrified thought rushed through her mind. She wouldn't be able to open it without causing the window to creak. They couldn't get out without being noticed. They wouldn't make it. Not when she had to carry Divination. Also, she had no idea if she was able to absorb the shock of their fall from the third floor. She had never done such a thing before.

Divinations grip on her wrist grew tighter. He silently formed the word "go" with his lips, but she refused. Hikari wouldn't abandon him.

"They're after me, they don't even know you're here," he hissed, but she violently shook her head.

"I'll distract them, _just go_!"

The surviving hero in the clutches of the villains screamed in agony. Taken aback by the sudden sound Hikari gave a jerk, her head appearing behind the backrest. Her eyes met with the surviving hero's. A horrified expression flashed over his features. Before the villains could react, the hero lunged at them in his half-dead state, surprising them.

It was their only chance. Hikari's particles ripped the window open. She grabbed Divination, threw him and jumped. Someone screamed in rage. Hikari let another string of particles excite from her palm, slamming it into the wall of the building. Their fall ended abruptly with a jolt so hard she wondered for a second if her arm had been ripped off. Divination was dangling from her other hand. Ignoring the soaring pain in her shoulder, she lowered them the last few meters to the ground. Divination was still wonky on his feet. He fought the abating pain and grabbed Hikari by the hand.

"We need to regroup with the other heroes. There's a secret meeting point."

Hikari's shoulder hurt like hell. Memories flashed before her eyes. Things she had tried to forget. Things that would haunt her for the rest of her life. The panicked expression of the hero sacrificing himself, so they could escape was only going to be a new addition to those.

They avoided open streets. They crept along shady alleyways, looked for the least illuminated passages. The sky was pitch black, the sidewalks empty. Straight out of a horror movie. It was almost funny.

They didn't speak. Slowly, reality sunk in. They had been attacked. All heroes at the agency were most likely dead. And they couldn't be the only ones. Hikari reached for her phone, only to find an empty pocket. She must have lost it during the fall. Divination showed her his. No reception. According to the watch, it was still early afternoon. The broadcast had been showed at lunch, only fifty minutes ago, but it felt like days. The darkness was playing tricks on their minds.

They paused to catch their breaths. Hikari wished she had eaten more breakfast. Her quirk used up a lot of energy and considering they just skipped lunch, she wasn't going to be able to fight for long before passing out. She could almost hear Aizawa-sensei scolding her.

Speaking of which, passing out was not an option. Divination had had multiple attack since their escape. He could barely walk, she couldn't count on him. She needed to be smart about this. Know when to stop, as Divination had said earlier. A flash of thought hit her. Was that why Aizawa-sensei always got mad at her…?

Divination pushed her against the wall, holding a protective arm in front of her. He gritted his teeth, sweat running down his front. The pain must have warned him. He pointed to the sidewalk on the other side of the street. A lonely figure strolled along the shop windows. They had no confirmation whether it was a villain or a lost civilian, but it was best to avoid them. The two slowly backed up, wanting to leave the alley from where they came from, when Hikari's back suddenly met with a wall. There hadn't been one before...

Something slender glinted in the corner of her eyes. At the last second Hikari ducked, feeling the gust of wind as something dashed through the air where her head had been only a moment before.

* * *

One moment they were walking, the next Izuku threw himself and Psy Doc out of the way. Someone squealed in disappointment. He didn't even have to look up to know that the maniac on the broadcast was staying true to his promise.

"And there I thought you made an easy target. Such a shame." It was a woman with short, spiky silver hair, wrapped in a grey bodysuit. Izuku only had to study her for a moment to know. "It's Shockwave, a villain usually more active in my area," he informed Psy Doc, "she can cause shock waves by clapping her hands together!"

"Oh?" the woman yelped in surprise. "I'm honoured! But who might you be?" She squinted. "You're… Not on my list. Why do I always have to clean up other people's messes? So incompetent."

List? What kind of list?

"Deku, go to the place I told you before. Tell them I sent you."

"You can't take her on alone-"

"Dek-" Whatever Psy Doc was going to say, it was drowned by another shock wave. The two tried to dodge by throwing themselves to the floor. The wave momentarily stunned them. The villain, Shockwave, giggled. "Come on you two. It doesn't matter who tries to run. I'll get you both anyway."

They needed a plan. Another wave was sent out. Izuku barely reacted in time, jumping back, but the wave was still too strong. He was thrown across the street, missing a car by mere centimetres. Psy Doc wasn't as lucky. The man cried out as he hit a parking meter. Izuku got back on his feet, ready to jump but another wave hit him, throwing him further away.

Shockwave closed in on Psy Doc. The hero was now bleeding from the back of his head where it had been smashed against the parking meter by the last wave. He lifted his chin, staring straight into Shockwave's eyes.

"You don't have to do this. I know you want revenge, but there are other ways-" He was silenced by yet another wave. The villain grinned, crouching down. "Stop it with your psycho-nonsense. You think you can talk your way out of this? Ridiculous."

Shockwave prepared for another attack. One wave from such close proximity would surely fry his brain in an instant. She struck out.

A foot connected with her cheek. The woman wheeled across the street, crashing into a bicycle. She didn't move.

Psy Doc chuckled. He touched the back of his head, only to find blood soaking his palm. He grimaced. "Good one, kid. Using the pressure created by your own kick to withstand that shockwave… Looks like you've got something in that brain of yours."

Any other day Izuku would stutter a grateful thank you. Now he just helped the pro hero back on his feet. "You need medical attention, that hit could've easily caused you a concussion."

"We're almost there," Psy doc deflected, "let's get out of here before she wakes up. We need to see who else made it."

As it turned out, Psy Doc most likely did have a concussion. He staggered until Izuku caught him, then he emptied his stomach. He admitted his fault, uncharacteristically joking how embarrassed he was about being carried by a child. He passed out soon after.

Pure luck. There was no other explanation how he managed to avoid being spotted by the few figures he caught patrolling on the street. After what felt like days wandering through impenetrable darkness, they arrived. It was a load of his mind.

Izuku went into full cowl mode, ready to jump to the other side when something strange caught his eye. Psy Doc had described the meeting point to be an ordinary building with a secret basement. It looked that way, only that the door was wide open. And there were scratch marks on the floor. All the cars around the entrance had been pushed away. Something was wrong.

Izuku took a step back. If they hunted down heroes, where would they try to find them other than the agencies...?

It was the ugly truth that caused him to take another step back. What if someone talked? What if someone told them about the secret meeting point? What if they had been compromised? He couldn't go in there. Not if he wasn't sure what to expect.

Something moved in the corner of his eyes. A glowing blue orb floated into his field of vision. The U.A. student whirled around, ready for another attack. But he didn't see anyone. Back where he came from, a second orb came to life. A trap?

Still no one in sight. Those blue orbs, he had seen them before. Not in person, but on TV. They were… Izuku sighed in relief. He remembered. There was a rescue hero, will-o'-wisp, who created these blue orbs to help lost or trapped people finding a way out. With one last look over his shoulder Izuku abandoned the plan to get to the meeting point. He followed the blue orbs, always on the lookout for villains.

They lead him further and further away from his old destination. Far enough to let the teenager reconsider his decision. Shaking the doubts from his mind, he pressed on. There was no turning back. He followed the blue orbs to a… Kindergarten? He blinked. The door was opened as soon as he entered the property. A young man in black clothing, laced with scratches and a makeshift bandage around his arm eyeballed him before noticing Psy Doc on Izuku's back. The stranger hectically waved Izuku inside.


	16. regroup

"This way." After double checking no one had seen Izuku entering the building, the young man shoved him through the corridor, inside the first room on the right. Instantly, the smell of disinfectant stung in his nose. Blankets lined the floor, building makeshift beds for a dozen injured heroes. Civilians, judging by their outfits, buzzed between them, dressing their wounds.

"There are more in the other rooms. Come, there's some space left over there." Wordlessly, Izuku followed. He was instructed to lay Psy Doc down and wait until someone was ready to take care of them. The pro hero was still out but the wound on the back of his head had stopped bleeding a while ago. Izuku made sure he looked somewhat comfortable before crashing against the wall behind. He finally allowed himself to relax a bit. Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath. Reality hadn't sunken in yet. Everything still felt like a distant dream.

"Mi-Midoriya…?" He was definitely dreaming. No way anyone here knew his name.

"Midoriya? Deku?"

Izuku squinted. It was too bright. He had to blink a few times until his eyes adjusted to the brightness. He looked straight into a familiar face that no way in hell could be here. He rubbed his eyes, but nothing changed.

"Shi-shikogane-san…?"

The girl looked as puzzled as him. She eyed him thoroughly and pointed to his leg, "That cut looks nasty. You should get someone to look at it."

Izuku examined his limb. He hadn't felt it at all. Only now that he was aware of it, the pain started throbbing in his tight. He must have gotten it somewhen during their encounter with Shockwave.

"Are you interning with him?" She drew his attention towards Psy Doc. Izuku nodded, "Yeah, I… Wait, are you interning as well? I thought you weren't allowed to go?"

The girl shrugged and immediately winced. Only now he saw the bandage around her shoulder, the arm supported by a sling. Cuts littered her whole body.

"Wait, you're hurt-"

"It's nothing. We were attacked on our way here, but we made it. About the internship," she quickly changed the subject, "Aizawa-sensei changed his mind last week. No idea why."

"Excuse me?" An ordinary looking man came down beside them. He skimmed over Psy Doc, then turned to Izuku, "You came with him?"

"Y-yes, I'm Deku, an intern. We were attacked by a villain, Shockwave, and she smashed his head a few times…"

The man nodded and took a flashlight from his pocket. He opened Psy Doc's lids to check if his pupils showed any reaction while continuously speaking to Izuku, "Any other injuries?"

"Not as far as I know."

"What about you? Any pain?"

"Uhm, there's a cut on my tight but other than that I'm completely fine."

The man finished his inspection of Psy Doc. "That's good to hear. Show me that cut, we don't want it to get infected. And you," he turned to Shikogane, "back to your own place. I told you not to move."

The girl grimaced. "Yes, sir. I'll see you later, Midoriya."

* * *

Dragon admired his work. Behind his back he could hear the steady breathing of the eldest Shadowman. His family had such a handy and powerful quirk, with the enhancing drug even more so. Phase two of his plan was already set in motion. If the Shadowmen made it through the night, he was sure to have left a statement recognized by the entire world.

A sharp knock caught his attention. "Yes?"

Doom Fist, his first in command, entered. "We have news," he announced. "One third of the agencies have been taken down with only a few heroes escaping. We're looking for them. Some of our own have taken hard hits as well, though. Shockwave just returned with some unsettling news."

"Oh?"

"There seem to be multiple possible targets that aren't on our list. Young heroes, most likely still students."

It was trivial, and yet… Somehow, he had overlooked the possibility. _He_. His mood was about to turn 180 degrees. "Just get rid of them. Young or old, heroes are heroes. Anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Doom Fist suddenly seemed uncomfortable. "Shockwave mentioned a kid who knew a lot about her. The pro hero she encountered called him Deku."

Silence filled the room. Suddenly, stifling air hit Doom Fist in the face, almost scorching his eyebrows. The next second, the heat died down.

"I have a new order," Dragon announced mechanically, "Bring the boy to me. Do not harm him. Whoever lays a hand on him will answer directly to me."

"Understood."

"You may leave. Proceed with the plan. Return if anything happens."

This came unexpected. How U.A. of all schools had managed to keep a secret from him puzzled Dragon. Enraged him. But he had more important matters to tend to. He would deal with them later, as scheduled in his plans. Right now, he had a new objective to focus on. Seems their meeting was destined to happen sooner than expected.

* * *

Izuku woke from his unrelaxing slumber. His legs had fallen asleep. He awkwardly tried to get up, noticing the change in the atmosphere. While Psy Doc still lay motionless on his makeshift bed, many of the other heroes were up.

"What's going on?" He asked no one in particular. The young man who let him in stepped beside him. "They're going out. They're fighting back, trying to break the barrier and get help from the outside."

"But how? The villains will be awaiting them!"

"They have no choice," the man explained, "the people are upset. We can't wait any longer without risking a public uprising. It would cause chaos, destruction. So many could get hurt, or worse."

Izuku paled. That had probably been the villain's goal all along. "Do they at least have a plan?"

"Sort of." The young man brushed his raven hair out of his face. "I'm Divination by the way. You're Midoriya…?"

"Uhm, yeah, Midoriya Izuku, or Deku."

"Deku, huh? Well, I'm also Takeru Naoki. You're a classmate of Hikari?"

Izuku blinked, then he remembered. "Yes. Wait, they're leaving! Where are we going?"

"We? We are not going anywhere. We're supposed to stay here and help guard the injured, letting the pros do their job."

The U.A. student didn't like this. He didn't like it at all. "They're expecting us to just sit back and wait?"

Something took hold of his arm. He found Shikogane standing behind them. She offered him a look that seemed to say _don't do anything stupid,_ and at the same time, _yet_. Izuku wanted to speak up but decided against it. He complied with a frown, sitting back down with the other two. They waited until the heroes were gone, leaving behind the incapacitated.

Divination finally got op, motioning them to follow him. He brought them to the end of the corridor where nothing but a shelf full of toys bore their company

"Is there anyone else?" Shikogane whispered, apparently knowing what was going on. Divination shook his head. "No one's in good enough shape. At least no one we can trust with this."

Shikogane nodded. "We better leave before they notice our absence."

"Wa-wait, what's going on?"

The two exchanged a knowing glance. Divination locked his eyes with Izuku's. "Do you want to sit around and hope for the best?"

"I-" No, he didn't want to. Izuku was torn. They would be disappointed in him if he disregarded the heroes' orders again. But he couldn't stay and mope, he had to do what he thought to be right. Everyone was probably worrying about him anyway. Isolating a whole city? Onderon had to be on the news nationwide. People on the outside were probably already doing their best to break through the barrier.

Shikogane shushed him, "Please stop mumbling! We have a plan… Sort of."

 _Sort of?_ If he learned anything from his past mistakes, it was not to do anything rash. If anything happened, if All Might, his mom and U.A. found out… Would they, though? Sitting around wouldn't do much to keep him alive. It was a matter of time until the villains found this hideout. Scolded once more for his rambling, Izuku gave in, _"_ What's the plan?"

A few heroes had been left behind, along them Will-o'-wisp. Divination went up to them, bombarding them with questions he knew they had no answers for. Had they found a way to contact the outside world? Was there another hideout? How many heroes had made it out alive? How was it going with their plan?

Izuku tried not to think too much about it. He focused on their absolutely ridiculous plan. He and Shikogane snuck through the backdoor. He couldn't believe it worked. Distract and sneak? A plan pre-schoolers came up with. They crept through the garden, hiding behind the hedge. Divination soon caught up with them.

"Why are they letting _you_ go?"

Divination grinned. "I may not look like it, but I'm a sidekick. They let me out to look for survivors from time to time."

"Eh? But you're so young! I haven't seen you anywhere…"

Divination brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "I was promoted only one and a half week ago. Also, my quirk isn't the flashiest, but useful. Come on, this way."

He led them down a side street. They ducked behind a dumpster. "I overheard their plans. The heroes divided themselves into four groups. They will attack the barrier at four points simultaneously, trying to scatter the villains and break through at least one front. We're waiting until they engage."

"The villains' attention will be drawn to them, probably leaving other places less protected," Izuku concluded. Divination nodded. "Exactly. The barrier was formed from multiple places at the same time, so the villains must have multiple bases."

"And how do we know where to find those? Did the heroes mention that too?"

Less confident than before, Divination admitted, "We're not sure. Hikari had the idea to look for anomalies inside the barrier, maybe they're darker at their point of origin. But we can't tell without getting closer first."

Not the most well thought out plan but all they had. Izuku felt the cut on his tight sting. Both of his companies didn't look like they were in perfect shape either. They needed to be smart about this if they wanted to succeed.

They left the dumpster behind, crossing an open street. It was far too dangerous in Izuku's opinion. They could be spotted any time. Divination noticed his unease. "My quirk warns me if anything bad will happen. As long as I don't feel any pain, we should be save."

Izuku's eyes lit up. "That's amazing! It must be so useful!"

"Yes and no. Anyway, Hikari mentioned you know a lot about heroes, villains and quirks?"

"I-I guess? I mean, I do takes notes and stuff…"

Divination ignored his comment. "The heroes were sure that the barrier was created by a group called the Shadowmen. Can you tell me anything about them?"

Izuku gasped. "The S _hadowmen_?! They're an urban legend!" He recalled writing an entry about them a few years back in his seventh hero journal. "It's a large family, they prefer to stick with their own kind which resulted in them all sharing the same quirk called shadow-wall. Despite their numbers they were able to hide for so long they became a myth."

"That quirk, shadow-wall, what does it do?" Shikogane finally raised her voice. Being in his element, he further explained, "There aren't many reports and the existing ones aren't very in depth, but it says they can create some sort of impenetrable shadow, just like the barrier." Why didn't he think of this sooner? They all looked up to the darkness covering the sky.

"But there has to be more to it. Even with their numbers, covering a whole city should be impossible."

"Not here."

Both U.A. students turned to Divination. "Lately, a drug has been going around, something that can enhance the power of quirks. But up till now, the victims showed rather unpleasing side-effects. I don't believe anyone would take it willingly."

A drug of this sort going around… As unsettling as the thought was, Izuku agreed it was the only possible explanation.

Divination suddenly shoved them behind a massive sign announcing this week's discounts. "Something's about to happen."

They pressed their backs against the sign, waiting in looming anticipation. Their breaths sounded abnormally loud, their clothes rustled with every up and down of their chests. Every muscle in Izuku's body tensed. Peeking around the sign, he found a group marching in their general direction. As they came closer, Izuku noticed that they had to be civilians. Mostly men, a few women.

"Crap," Divination muttered. "It's the low-life. The thugs too scared to act with heroes around. They think they can do whatever they want, now that the heroes are busy. That's exactly what we were afraid of. We can't let them spot us. Back up, there's another way around."

Divination, much to Izuku's dismay, swiped three water bottles from a small supermarket they crossed. Not that he wasn't grateful because his stomach was eating itself and his mouth felt dry and sticky. They sat in a small circle between the bushes of a park. Not the best hideout but enough for the moment. Divination glanced at his phone, it was almost out of battery. "It's three in the morning, we've been out for about two hours."

Izuku choked. "What?"

Shikogane patted him on the back, trying to still his coughing fit. "You slept a few hours after you arrived at the hideout. And there's no way telling how much time passed out here. By the way, I had an idea."

Transitioning from coughing into panting, Izuku looked up at her.

"If their quirk is anything like mine… It should cost them a vast amount of energy to keep it up for that long. They can't hold it forever. They must have already grown weaker. If we get to one of them and break their focus, the shadow-wall might get weaker as well, maybe even disappear. Not that I can guarantee anything."

A reasonable conclusion. Izuku added his own deduction, "But we can't rush in. The villains, Dragon or whoever is responsible for this, they must be extremely smart and influential to pull this off. The Shadowmen will be protected."

"Sound legit," Divination agreed, "we have to find a way around the guards or however they're protected. Once we're out of this park, it will only be a twenty minutes march to the city limit. We're getting into dangerous territory." As if being overheard by fate, Divination suddenly hunched down, hands tearing at his hair. He grunted painfully. Shikogane immediately leaned down and kept him from crashing face flat into the ground. "It's his quirk! We better move!"

Izuku helped her pulling Divination to his feet. An explosion rattled the ground beneath their feet. Orange flames illuminated an urban district not too far away. All the lights around them went out in a single moment, leaving them blind in the darkness. Was it the heroes? Had they already engaged the villains? Or was it the people rioting?

" _Move_!" Divination reminded the two students between bared teeth. They half carried the sidekick through the park, stumbling through the darkness with Izuku's outstretched arm as their guide.

"How stupid would it be go light up the way in front of us?" Shikogane suddenly asked. "My quirk does give off a little bit of a shine, I don't know whether it's much or not, but it could also attract danger…"

Izuku picked up movement. The beam of a flashlight hit the way not too far away. "Duck! Here's a wall!" No one objected. Izuku dared to lift his head.

"Wait here, I'm going to check it out."

"Midoriya, wait," Shikogane hissed aghast, "it's too dangerous, we shouldn't split up-"

"I'll be right back. Look after Divination." He didn't wait for her reply. He groped his way along the low stone wall. As he got closer to the beam of the flashlight, voices rose.

"…heard of it?" _One_.

"Yeah," _two_ , "a real troublemaker. They say he took out four of us with a single hit. Stabbed right through the chest."

"My sister called him the Spider. Says he looks like one. Creepy, if you ask me." _Three_.

"Scared?" The second voice spoke again.

"Cut it out, you two." _Four_. This time a woman. "Who cares? He sent us out to find the boy. Behave, or I'm gonna make you."

Izuku quivered. There were at least four of them and they didn't sound friendly. Also, someone went around and stabbed people? What boy were they trying to find? Nothing they said made much sense to him.

"But what does he want with a stupid kid?" Three shared Izuku's thoughts. One answered, "That's not our concern. Orders are orders. Not a scratch, he said. We should look for-" One held on, startled by a glow moving away from them.

Izuku froze. What on earth was Shikogane thinking, activating her quirk at a time like this?!

"Let's go!" One commanded.

Izuku activated full cowl mode, not worrying about being exposed by the green lightning dancing around his body. He had to warn them.

* * *

 _A/N: Guess what? The next chapter is called "The Tragedy of Onderon". Prepare to suffer._


	17. The Tragedy of Onderon

**Chapter 17: The Tragedy of Onderon**

Was this irony of fate? First Midoriya foolishly left, then she heard an unknown individual approaching. Hikari ducked, pressing down Divination with her as something cold and sharp ripped through the fabric around her leg. She recognized the sensation immediately. Day after day, for three whole years her body had been tortured by this exact sensation until she couldn't bear it anymore and run away.

The approaching individual came to a halt. Hikari knew the lack of her showing any reaction must have tipped them off. There was only one thing left for her to do. Silently apologizing for everything that may happen in the future she left Divination, who again had lost consciousness due to the pain. She stumbled as far away as she dared before creating a dense cloud of particles from her back, illuminating everything near her. She didn't need to look up to know who stood there. The fight was lost before it even began. Maybe it was a good thing. Her opponent had no interest in Divination, and Midoriya was nowhere in sight, meaning she could at least lure her opponent away and give her two companions a chance to get away.

"Hello, sister. What a wonderful coincidence."

Hikari didn't answer. She stared at the hardly identifiable silhouette of her brother.

"What? Not happy to see me?"

Without warning the girl sent her particles flying towards him in a feeble attempt to take hold of his leg but was too slow. Neo Kumo sidestepped with ease. The girl charged, hoping to land at least a single hit with her newly trained close combat skills, but she didn't even get in range. His quirk threw her off course, two of his black matter spikes hidden by the darkness sliced her torso. Hikari screamed. Her foot slipped on something wet.

Suddenly, green consumed her vision. She was yanked off the ground, multiple people yelled - where did they come from?

"Hold on-" A familiar voice came but was silenced by a hard hit in the back. They lost each other's grip. Hikari crashed into a field, she smelled grass and dirt. Voices were still yelling everywhere. She shook her head, trying to get hold of her senses again. She finally found the strength to look up. "Mi-Midoriya?!"

She couldn't see him, but his voice came from a few meters away, "Where's Divination? We need to get out before-"

Black spikes pierced through the air. Hikari pulled up a shield made of her particles. She could feel the tiredness taking over. This would be the last time she managed to create something of that size with her quirk.

"Dammit, hold him back you morons!" An unfamiliar voice screamed. As soon as the shield disappeared, Hikari found Neo Kumo engulfed in a fight with… Other villains? Midoriya called out to her again, "We need to leave!"

* * *

Izuku jumped. Something glistened in the darkness in front of him, but he reacted too late. A yelp escaped his lips as it tore his suit apart, he would have been stabbed right through his ribcage had he not been yanked to the side at the exact second.

"Midoriya, go away!" Shikogane yelled. Izuku crashed into bushes that lucky damped his fall. A creepy laugh came from behind. He had heard it before, but where?

"Looks like you brought a friend. Wait, isn't that the bastard from Seishin?"

Izuku barely evaded another attack. He couldn't see what was going on. The beam of a flashlight danced around his vision, mixing with the soft golden glow of Shikogane's quirk.

"Hey eyes on me!" The girl screamed hysterically over the yelling of the many people present, drawing the laughing and stabbing maniac's attention to her. Izuku found her glowing eyes far to his right, her quirk illuminating her close surroundings. She was still alone. Where was Divination?

"It's really cute of you to try and protect him, very _heroic_. But this is the second time he got in my way. I'll kill you both. Doesn't matter which one goes first." Izuku had never heard anyone pronouncing the word _heroic_ with as much disgust in the voice.

"Then what are you waiting for? Come and get me!" Shikogane tried to draw his attention to her. She was trying to give Izuku a chance to flee. He obviously couldn't do that. He… Suddenly, everything made sense. That's why the attacker felt so familiar. The other villains had called him the Spider. It was Shikogane's brother, the one they fought at Seishin before. But how on earth did he manage to show up at this place this exact time?

The beam of the flashlight hit him in the face, blinding him. "The fuck, it's the spider _and_ the boy? It's our lucky day!" One of the villains announced.

"It's Neo Kumo, Dragon crap! You're fucking dead!" Shikogane's brother growled, sending out the black extensions from his back. The group of villains dispersed, clearly unaware how much more dangerous his quirk was in the dark.

A hand covered Izuku's mouth, the scream died in his throat. He was shushed by Shikogane. The girl panted heavily. "We need to leave as long as they're distracted, I left Divination behind the wall-" Both teenagers cried out, surprised by something ripping on their heads. Izuku dashed around, only to find his body frozen mid movement. He couldn't speak, he couldn't even control his blinking.

"Don't worry kids, we won't let him have you. We've got other plans. Now, let's move before they notice." The female villain Izuku heard before spoke. He tried to flick his fingers, break whatever power was freezing his body, to no avail. Against his will his body moved, robotically walking away from the fight.

"Will it be okay if we take the girl, too?" The female villain asked.

"The Spider seems to be interested in her, that might be worth something. We can still get rid of her later, if necessary."

Izuku panicked. He heard shallow breathing beside him. His legs moved, carried him away from the fight. The walked further and further, no one followed. Was the fight over? Who had won?

As they walked, crashes and explosions could be heard. The streetlights had gone completely dark. Even the villains stumbled through the chaos, using their flashlights to find the way. The whole ground was littered with debris. Buildings, windows, cars everything around them seemed broken. A telephone booth on their right was on fire. The city reminded a war zone. What had happened these past few hours?

In the light of the telephone booth, Izuku finally made out their kidnappers; a man in an old-fashioned swallow-tailed coat and a woman in a velvet robe. Two small puppets sat on each of the man's shoulders. Izuku recognized him: The Puppeteer. Which mean the woman at his side was Voodoo. From what he knew about the two, he wouldn't be able to get away without the help of an outsider.

"At last," The Puppeteer announced, the beam of his flashlight hitting the wall of an abandoned building. He knocked like a civilized person before entering. Even the inside was completely deprived of light. Izuku's body followed, climbed up the stairs to the maybe third or fourth floor. It was hard to count when all his senses betrayed him. Had he not been under the control of a quirk, he may have collapsed from exhaustion somewhere along the way.

They entered a large room. A figure was standing by the window front, the orange of the flames raging in the city giving away a rough idea of his body type. Far in the back, muttering could be heard. Izuku tore his gaze from the man. A wall of darkness separated the front part of the building from whatever laid beyond. Probably the outside world. They were so close, if only they had a way of breaking through…

"Excuse the ominous atmosphere. It's just a side effect of his quirk being enhanced by such a high degree," the man on the window explained. "Thank you, Voodoo, Puppeteer. You may let them lose."

"That's it, kids. Now, behave." As Voodoo spoke the words, Izuku felt her quirk losing hold of his body. He lost his balance, his own movements feeling alien. At his side, Shikogane collapsed.

"Shikogane-san!" Before he could reach her, an arm so big it rivalled Muscular's blocked the way.

"I ordered you to bring the boy," the man on the window reproached his subordinates. The Puppeteer quickly justified, "We ran into the Spider on our way, he seemed rather obsessed with killing them. We believed the girl might be an asset to lure him out, shouldn't we be able to catch him before dawn."

"I see. Good thinking. You may leave now."

The villainous pair bowed and left without a word. The man by the window turned his full attention towards Izuku. The U.A. student had no doubt; it was the man from the broadcast, Dragon. The man seemingly responsible for all of this.

"Hero Deku, or Midoriya Izuku."

Izuku gulped. The weird feeling from the broadcast returned. Just who was this man? And why did he know his name?

"I hear you are a smart one. Tell me, how were they able to capture you?" Dragon's stare was intense, but not betraying any emotion. His polite phrasing only made him appear more mysterious.

"W-we.. They… The Puppeteer. H-he used his puppets to sneak up on us and get some of our hair. The puppets must have been infused with Voodoo's quirk as well, so she was able to control our bodies thanks to the hair..."

"Good, really good, my boy!" Dragon clapped. Izuku felt attacked. Only All Might called him _my boy._ It was reserved for the Symbol of Peace, no one else. The vexation brought him courage. "Who are you? And why are you doing this?!"

"That doesn't matter right now. The only thing that matters are you," Dragon pointed at Izuku, then himself, "and me."

"Midoriya, don't listen to him!" Shikogane got back on her feet, much to Dragon's dismay. "Restrain her," he commanded the big arms guy. Shikogane shrieked as she was lifted off the ground by three fingers of the large hand wrapping around her throat.

"Let her go!" Green lightning danced around Izuku as he activated One for All, bathing the room in flashes. Before he could move, parching green flames separated him from the others. He hopped back to avoid being grazed by the fire.

"Na, na, eyes on me, my boy. She might be useful but not valuable enough to let her be a nuisance. Now that things are settled, let us have a few private words, young hero."

Izuku took one last look at his struggling classmate before deactivating his quirk. Dragon approached. There was this feeling again. Now that the man came closer, his features seemed almost familiar.

"Do you know who I am, Midoriya Izuku?"

"You're a villain and you're responsible for all of this."

Dragon's relaxed expression faltered. "I didn't think you would be that… Feisty."

Izuku observed. He couldn't do anything hasty without endangering Shikogane's life and Dragon knew as much. That's why he wasn't scared of Izuku trying to attack again. That, and possibly the power of his own... Flame breathing quirk? Something about that felt off.

"You've suffered enough. You've gone through all that hardship and yet you're still so fixed on your shallow heroic ideals, you don't even recognize what once was closest to you? Is that who you really are, Midoriya Izuku?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, but you don't know anything about me! You're avoiding my questions!" The nith holder of One for All stalled time. Dragon simply chuckled. There were only a few steps separating them. "Sharp, indeed. Like father, like son, am I right?"

Izuku blinked in confusion. Did Dragon know his father? Was that why he wanted to talk to him?

"Come on, you're smarter than this. Stop playing dumb. Embrace the truth, my boy."

"Midoriya, don't-" came a choked scream from behind. Annoyance was the first emotion to visibly graze Dragon's face that night. "Jeez, Doom Fist, shut her up. We're having a moment here."

It was now or never. Izuku charged for big arms. Suddenly, there was light, then there was pain. He smelled burned flesh and whimpered as he was thrown back, skidding towards the door.

"See what you've done! It wasn't supposed to go like that!" Dragon yelled, face disfigured by pure anger. As fast as it came, it went. Dragon blinked, his features looking as relaxed as before. "Where were we? Izuku, I'm so sorry, my dear. Don't worry, my healers will take care of that."

 _Izuku… My dear…_

Something in his brain clicked.

 _My dear Izuku._

Fire breath.

The freckles.

 _You'll see soon_

 _ **No. It couldn't be. Impossible. Never.**_

His brain stopped working, his body stopped fighting. His arms fell limp to the floor.

"Finally. I knew you could do it, son." Dragon knelt beside him. "Our meeting was supposed to go much soomther. At a nice and calm place where we could talk in peace. But U.A. had to screw it all up, as always. The heroes are spreading sickness in our society!"

 _No, no, no, no, NO!_

"All those years ago… I tried my best, my boy. You see, I tried to make you listen, but you would only run faster after those broken ideals of yours. But tell me… How did you get this quirk? I thought there was only one man who could do such a thing, but he's in Tartarus now, isn't he? And I don't believe he would give a power like this to someone like you. We had an arrangement, after all."

 _No._

"It's quite ironic. You never listened to me, my boy, so I tried to show you how rotten society really is. I brought you to him, he owed me favour. He gladly took your quirk, saying it was an interesting one to play with. It took me some time to convince him to give it back to you once I thought you were ready though."

 _Impossible._

"But now? It seems you still didn't learn a thing I tried to show you. But somehow you got this hideous quirk that destroys your body! Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe I shouldn't have taken yours, after all. Maybe I should have stayed and shown you myself. Maybe then you'd see the truth."

Izuku couldn't move. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't stop the tears streaming down his face. He wanted to scream _lies, lies, lies, LIAR,_ but his body didn't belong to him anymore.

"It's a shame. Look what they've done to you. They broke you, stuffed you with false ideals. They brainwashed you. But they will pay. U.A., All Might, everyone, they will all pay. We can make them pay together-"

A fist crashed into Dragon's face. Izuku cried in pain and rage, the left side of his body numb and on fire, but he charged. He kicked Dragon in the stomach before big arms could react, got ready for another attack, but an incredible heat wave forced him back, right into big arm's huge hands.

"Look what you've done, now we're both bleeding! Can't you see it, son? They turned you on me, they-"

"BOSS!" big arms yelped, eyes fixed on the window. There, in the distance, a tiny spot of blue, so bright it shone like a star, appeared on the sky. Dragon screamed in rage. He spit green flames towards the window until the frames gleamed and the covers melted away, leaving a distinct smell of burned plastic. Panting heavily, he stared at the ever-growing blue spot until another, inhuman sound came from the back of the room. A golden string reached into the darkness, stabbing straight into its core. Instantly, the shadow disappeared, revealing an old man toppling over. The darkness dispersed, suddenly light filled the room, blinding them. Shouts came from beyond the slowly fading barrier.

"Boss, we need to leave!" Big arms urged.

"No", Dragon spat, "I'm not leaving, not now-"

"They're here! Your plans must succeed!"

The voices drowned in Izuku's slipping consciousness. He was lying flat on his back, unable to move. His mind was blank. He believed to hear his name but couldn't grasp it. He heard dragging, something squeezed his hand. Then there was nothing.


	18. aftermath

**Chapter 18: Aftermath**

Tomomo wasn't sure how exactly he ended up here. He wasn't sure what happened to his life anyway. These people, villains, real villains, not the wannabes Neo Kumo teamed up with, brought him to their boss. What had that idiot been thinking leaving him alone at the hideout for two days? He was lucky the shady hotel they resided in hadn't been attacked during the hunt, as people started calling it. And yet, despite relief organisations and police forces swarming the streets, some villains managed to grab him, asking for Neo Kumo's whereabouts. He would have been dead, had he not mentioned his quirklessness in a desperate attempt to bargain for his own life.

 _The boss will like that,_ one of the villains had said, and they took him. Didn't hurt him anymore. They pulled a bag over his head and drove him far, far away. They removed the bag only after he stood in front of their boss. Tomomo immediately recognized the man from the broadcast in Onderon; it was Neo Kumo's sworn enemy, Dragon. Although he looked pretty beat up.

Dragon smiled at the boy. "They tell me you're quirkless?"

Tomomo nodded.

"Good. I bet the Spider didn't treat you all too well, looking down on you for something you had no say in. But don't be afraid. We're different. Having a quirk or not, it doesn't matter to us, it doesn't matter to me. You can achieve greatness with what you already have, you don't need a quirk to do so. What do you say? Do you want to help me create a world where you can be whatever you want?"

Tomomo nodded again.

"Splendid."

* * *

Izuku woke to the steady beeping of a heart monitor. His eyelids were hot and swollen, they stuck enough he wasn't sure if he would ever be able to open them again. A sterile smell itched in his nose. Hospital. He was in a hospital. Why was he in a hospital? The last thing he remembered...

The internship. He had gone to Onderon. No, he had been to Onderon. He had talked to Psy Doc. Psy Doc got hurt. There was a villain, there were _so many_ villains, there was fire, _so much fire,_ his body burned, _someone_ burned him, green flames, cold green eyes, _my son-_

He neither noticed the wild beeping of the monitor, nor the people storming inside. Neither the doctor trying to calm him down. He couldn't think. He only saw that man. _Dragon_.

 _He's gonna hurt them. He's gonna hurt them all. Oh god, what if he hurts mom? I need to protect mom-_

The screaming in his brains grew silent as he was sedated. The darkness took over once more.

The next time he was awoken by the whispering of a familiar voice. Before he could open his eyes, he coughed, his throat so dry breathing hurt. Someone raised a glass to his lips.

"Drink, my boy, it's going to be fine." All Might. All Might was here. Izuku thankfully tasted the cold liquid. He abruptly opened his eyes.

"A-A-All Mi-might! He's- He's going to-" His voice came out raspy. Lanky arms were wrapped around him. "It's okay, you're safe now. They can't hurt you anymore."

"Mom, mom, he's gonna hurt mom! Dragon-"

"Midoriya-"

" _Y-you don't u-unders-stand! Dragon, he's gonna hurt mom! He hurt me, he will hurt mom-_ "

All Might froze. "Did… Did Dragon do this to you…?"

"P-please, I, I, he, he will-"

"I can assure you, they're doing their best to catch him. Your mother is as safe-"

" _ **You**_ _ **don't understand!**_ _"_ Izuku screamed, shutting his mentor up, "he was after me, he's going after her-"

"Mido-"

"HE'S MY FATHER! HE'S GONNA HURT MOM!"

Izuku sobbed. He didn't want to accept it. Deep inside he knew it was true. Long arms pulled him into another comforting hug. " _P-Please…_ "

"I promise you, I will do whatever is in my power to protect you. Both of you"

Toshinori sat on a free chair in the hallway. The coffee in his plastic cup had gone cold. Waves splashed on the surface of the brown liquid, indicating how hard his hands still shook. He knew Midoriya was confused, traumatized, he didn't want to know what the boy had gone through in that damned city. But he also knew that Midoriya would never, ever lie about something so serious, not even undeliberately. That was why he promised. Why he called the principal, informed him that there were things they needed to discuss in person. Nedzu didn't hesitate to send over Aizawa to check on his two fortunately alive students. Secretly, Toshinori knew the other would have come anyway, knowing how deeply he cared about his students, despite denying it at any given opportunity.

Toshinori told Aizawa everything Midoriya had rambled about. He knew Aizawa would take it as seriously as him. 1-A's homeroom teacher left him shortly after to check on Shikogane before returning to U.A. to report to the principal.

There was another way to make sure Midoriya's assumption was right. Toshinori waited for the inspectors to leave Shikogane's room. She and Midoriya had been found together. If they really were attacked by Dragon, she would be able to tell him what happened.

Toshinori came back the day after. He had managed to talk to Shikogane, although the girl wasn't very talkative. She used as few words as possible to answer his questions. When he asked about Dragon's connection to Midoriya she hesitated, stating she had only been half conscious during the villain's speech. Only after Toshinori explained what Midoriya had already revealed to him the girl stated that she heard the villain say so. She didn't look at him again, not until he was half out of the door.

"Please don't hate him," she suddenly pled, "it's not his fault. He didn't choose to be his son."

Toshinori smiled at her. "I could never hate him. None of us could."

Now, that the former Symbol of Peace was knocking on his successor's door the day after, he realized what she meant with those words. She asked him not to hate Midoriya for possibly being the son of a villain. Because she knew how it was. Maybe Toshinori should have paid more attention to her before.

"Come in," the doctor's voice came from inside. The retired hero went in, sitting on a free chair beside Midoriya's bed.

"I'm glad to see you're already doing much better, my boy." He softly smiled at his successor. There were still bags under his blood shot eyes, his back was arched, but the life seemed to slowly return to his eyes.

The doctor wrote down more notes before concluding, "Your body is healing quite well. Our specialists have tried their best, but the burns will leave scars. Other than that, you should be fully healed without permanent damage." The boy winced at the mentioning of his burns and Toshinori had a hard time holding back the anger boiling inside of him, keeping up his strained smile. "That's good news."

"It is. Now then." The doctor got up to leave but was held back by Midoriya, "Dr. Noma… Is there a way I could maybe get an X-ray of my foot?"

The doctor blinked. "That is a strange request."

Toshinori didn't believe his ears. Midoriya was born quirkless, getting an X-ray showing no additional toe joint would only raise questions, questions they couldn't answer without raising suspicions about his quirk, about All for One's involvement, about his own involvement… "Midoriya, my boy-"

" _Please_!" He meant it. Toshinori wasn't sure whether it was directed at him or the doctor. The man beside him sighed. "I cannot quite follow why, but if it makes you feel better, I'll see what I can do."

Midoriya didn't look at the man. His head bowed low, fists clenching the thin blanket. "Thank you."

Toshinori waited for the doctor to leave. Feeling queasy he waited for another moment after the door shut, just to make sure there wasn't anyone listening.

"Midoriya, my boy. I know it must be hard for you after everything, but why would you-" he started but was interrupted midway.

"There's something else… Something else Dragon told me. A-and I know I shouldn't trust him, I don't trust him, but I want, I _need_ to make sure, I don't know what I'm going to do if he's right-"

"Midoriya," the former symbol of peace squeezed the teenager's shoulders stopping him from rambling, "what did he do?"

His smile was gone. His eyes were cold, his lips even thinner in a desperate attempt to hold back his fury. Midoriya looked at him, then avoided his gaze.

"H-he mentioned t-that.. He… He said that he took it. when he saw h-how d-desperately I wanted t-to become a-a hero, when he realized th-that there was n-no way I'd ever change my mind, he… he… He said that he asked _him_ to take my quirk _,_ so I'd learn to deal with t-the hardship, so I'd see the world for what it really is, h-he… _He stole my quirk. I-I wasn't b-born quirkless."_

Tears were streaming down the boy's face. His shoulders shook with every sob. Toshinori didn't let go. He couldn't let go.

"The, the X-ray they showed my mom and m-me… It was probably a fake, and he said he wanted to give it back to me when he decided I was ready, he thought I would join him-"

Toshinori forced his fingers to let go of the boy before his grip hurt him. His mind was filled with blind rage. _All for One_. Was it true? Had he taken Midoriya's quirk? Had he _known all along_? About the boy, about Dragon? Now still, after he was finally imprisoned in Tartarus, his foe managed to play tricks on him. All this time he had played him, he had known Midoriya's father was a monster, he must have been laughing behind his back watching the irony unfold in front of him. The boy whose power he had taken was now the boy who inherited the power to destroy him.

As he wrapped the still sobbing boy into his arms, Toshinori swore to himself that he would get Midoriya's quirk back. If it was the last thing he'd do.

* * *

Izuku stared at the phone All Might brought him that day. It was brand new. A courtesy of U.A. A few numbers had already been saved, but he hadn't found the right words yet. He scrolled through the contact list. There was his mother's number, Aizawa-sensei's, All Might's and Iida's.

He knew he had to call his mom. But he didn't know what to say. All Might told him that heroes were stationed around their apartment building, looking out for her 24/7. Izuku knew what he was supposed to say, but he couldn't. Not with the thought of Dragon lurking inside his brain. Did she know? Did they tell her? Did she even know she stood under surveillance? Did Izuku have the heart to tell her if no one else did?

He wasn't ready. Not yet.

Should he write Iida instead? Tell the class he was fine? They surely were worried sick. They must have seen what happened in Onderon. Izuku hadn't dared to open any news site yet, too afraid what he might find. A message popped up. He flinched, not expecting anything of the sort. The number was unknown. It couldn't be- he didn't- it couldn't be Dragon-

Pushing the anxiety down, he opened the messenger.

 **unknown number  
** _how are you?  
_ It was just a message. Nothing more. He typed a shaky reply.

 **Midoriya Izuku's phone  
** _Who is this?  
_ The answer came immediately.

 **unknown number  
** _Oh, sorry it's Hikari  
_ _Shikogane  
_ _Sorry I didn't men to disturb you, i was worried_

Izuku felt bad. He knew that the was only a few rooms down the hall, yet he hadn't found the courage to visit her. The doctors told him she would be fine, that her injuries weren't life threatening. Still, he felt bad for not at least letting her know that he cared about her and all the others from Onderon.

 **Midoriya Izuku's phone  
** _No, I'm sorry, please don't worry, I'm fine_

 **Hikari  
** _ok that's the worst lie ever_

 **Midoriya Izuku's phone  
** _Sorry_

 **Hikari  
** _Please don't apologize  
_ _if you need anything, let me know  
_ _ha no one told you to change your name yet  
_ _?_

Izuku blinked. Oh.

 **Deku  
** _Thanks_

 **Hikari  
** _No prob  
_ _I'm sure the others would be worried if you didn't change it_

She was right. Uraraka would worry even more if he didn't put up a straight face.

 **Hikari  
** _You didn't write them yet did you  
_ _I don't want to tell you you should  
_ _but you really should_

She was right. He should. After their little chat, he felt a little bit more confident. What could happen? He thanked her once more before finally reaching out to Iida. His friend wasn't always on his phone and tended to go to bed early, so he was most likely already asleep. Izuku ended up writing a quick message telling Iida that he was alright and would be back at U.A. in a few days. Nothing more.

It took exactly thirty seconds for the first reply to come in. Another twenty for the next. After one minute, his phone jumped around on the nightstand, not stopping to announce new messages. And it wouldn't stop until early morning hours knowing his classmates.

Three messages of Iida, just saying how happy he was to hear from Izuku, that he had been worried and so on. Twenty-three messages from another contact, judging by the amount of Japanese emojis, they were from Uraraka. He also got one to three messages from seven other people, all while being added back to his class' group chat, which meant a total of another 58 messages. Completely overwhelmed, Izuku had no idea whom to answer. He settled for a few words in the group chat.

 **Deku  
** _Thank you for the kind words, everyone  
_ _I'm a bit overwhelmed, I'll try to answer tomorrow  
_ _but I'll be fine, thank you_

The last sentence felt like a lie.

 **Iida  
** _That's completely understandable! You must have gone through a lot!  
_ _Take care and rest!_

A small smile appeared on his lips. It felt strange. Izuku turned off the notifications and settled down. He knew that sleep wouldn't come. Even if it did, it only meant nightmares. Still, for just a few minutes, he felt at peace, knowing his friends were out there. There was still a world, an ordinary world, far away from the darkness and fire of Onderon. A world without Dragon.

* * *

She couldn't sit still for one more minute. Hikari slid into her slippers and tiptoed to the door. Her left arm was still in a sling. Most of her injuries had been healed, but none of the doctors had a quirk rivalling Recovery Girl's. The poor old lady had been sent straight to Onderon to help take care of the wounded. She obviously had no spare time to look after the non-lethally injured stationed at this hospital in Onderon's neighbour city.

Her right leg hurt. They told her not to leave the bed, but Hikari couldn't stay. Carefully, she opened the door and peeked outside. No one. She crept down the hallway. Two doors down she pressed her ear to the wood. Her heart became heavy. From the inside, barely noticeable, came a sob. Then another one. She opened the door. It screeched. Immediately, the sobbing stopped.

"Midoriya?" A whisper. An alien sound inside the silent hospital. No answer came. He probably didn't want to see her, but she couldn't let go.

She knew what it had done to her. How she had lost faith in life. How she had come to distrust everyone, not opening up to anyone ever again. And she didn't want him to go through the same, she didn't want him to make the same mistakes. He was not fine, and he wouldn't be for a long time. He needed his friends and she wouldn't let him distance himself from them. Hikari also wasn't stupid enough to believe they were in any way close and she could offer him the same support his friends could, they were basically still strangers. But she had to go and try.

The girl went inside, not waiting for an invitation. She closed the door behind her back. Walking up to the bed, she found him curled up in a ball. She carefully sat down on the edge of the mattress, hand hovering in the air. She couldn't let her insecurity get the better of her, not now. With the softest touch, almost too soft to feel, she started petting the back of his head. He didn't flinch. She continued until his sobbing finally ceased. Softly he spoke, barely above a whisper, "How do you deal with it?"

"With what?" She whispered, "knowing what they did? Knowing what they could be doing right now? Or do you mean the nightmares? The anxiety? The feeling of being unable to do anything? The feeling of guilt for not doing anything right now? Or the fear of people judging you because of what _they_ did?"

He remained silent.

"Honestly, I… I don't. That's what screwed me up so bad. That's why after all these years, I'm still nothing but the silent reminder of the things they've done. But you can do better, I know you can. Your friends, All Might, they're here for you, they'll always be. You are and always will be a hero, there's nothing Dragon can do about it."

"That's not true."

"Yes, it is."

"No, I mean," he moved until he was sitting somewhat upright, "you're more than that. If you hadn't stopped that Shadowman, Dragon would have… H-he would have…"

Hikari winced. In her last attempt to do something about the situation, she had sent the faint remnants of her quirk into the core of the shadow wall, stabbing the man inside. No one had told her what happened to him. Maybe he was dead. Maybe she had killed him. Maybe she was just as bad as the rest of her family.

Pushing the thoughts aside, the girl lifted her hand again, drawing comforting circles on Midoriya back. She wasn't used to touching people, but she wished someone had done it for her.

"It doesn't matter what could have been. The only thing that matters is what did happen and how we deal with it. Just promise me not to deal with this alone. You have people who care about you."

He nodded. She wasn't sure whether he truly understood the meaning of her words. Silence filled the room. Hikari wasn't sure what else to say, she wasn't particularly good with people.

"Could you… Could you maybe stay for a bit? I just, I-I.. I'm scared," Midoriya admitted shily.

Hikari tried to smile. He couldn't see it in the darkness, but Neko once told her that people could feel it. "Sure, I'll stay as long as you need me."

"Thank you, Shikogane-san."

She paused. "If you like… You can call me Hikari, most people do. My last name sometimes reminds me of things I'd rather not think about."

"Oh, okay, s-sorry."

"It's fine, you couldn't have known."

Midoriya was brought back home the day after. His mother came, and apparently a lot of tears were involved. They were guarded by a hero. Hikari wondered if that was enough. Then again, aside from both their statements, the police had no proof that the villain Dragon was actually his father. Not yet, at least.

What she did not expect, was her new phone, also a courtesy of U.A., ringing in the middle of the night. No one was calling her except for Neko. Neko who had wailed a few hours before on the other side of the line, screaming how utterly terrified she had been upon receiving the news. Scolding her for ending up in such a dangerous situation without her and for getting hurt. Hikari didn't get to say more than a few words, but she was happy to hear her friend's voice. She was reminded again how much she missed Neko. They hadn't seen each other in over a month and they wouldn't be meeting any time soon.

Hikari stared at the far too bright screen, immediately sliding down the receiver symbol. This had to be an accident.

"Mi-midoriya...?"

"Uh, sorry, did I wake you?" He sounded tired. Hikari shook her head until realizing he couldn't see nor hear it through the phone.

"No, it's okay. Just surprised." Why was he calling her? Why her of all people? She took a moment to think. "Did you… Did you have another nightmare?"

He didn't respond for a while. "...Yes."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No, not really…" Silence stretched again and she realized he was looking for comfort.

"Will they ever stop? The nightmares, I mean."

Hikari hesitated. There was no reason to lie, he would find out eventually. But the truth was hard and painful, and he was already in so much pain. "Midoriya… I… No, they won't. But it will get better, I promise. You just have to stay strong and not give in."

For another few seconds, he didn't say anything. Hikari believed he had fallen asleep at first, seeing that it was almost one in the morning, but he spoke up again, "Do you still have them?"

The conversation became awfully personal. But hadn't it been from the start? Hikari gulped down her uneasiness. She couldn't expect him to be open about everything while keeping everything she had experienced to herself. "Yes. Sometimes it's calm for weeks, sometimes they come night after night. But I didn't have anyone I could tell. You do. You can do better, Midoriya, you're good and strong and loved. Don't let that bastard get into your head. Blood doesn't mean anything. My dad was the greatest man I ever knew, he was my hero, and look how K- my brother turned out." She almost said it. She hoped he was tired enough not to notice.

"So, you think I should tell them?" He sounded like a child asking for permission to go out and play with his friends.

"Yes, Midoriya. Don't bottle up all your feelings. I'm sure they won't see you any different." She could only hope. Midoriya on the other side of the line took a deep breath.

"I'll try. Thank you."

"Sure thing."

"But you know," he started, catching her by surprise, "you can talk to me, too. I kind of feel bad - I don't want to take advantage of you, just because I feel like you understand, I'm really not trying to, but I guess talking to someone does help, and I really don't mean it like that-"

"You're rambling," Hikari called his little outburst to his attention, despite feeling incredibly relieved. Him falling into his usual habit meant that there was still a lot of the original Izuku Midoriya left in that sobbing, curled up mess she had seen at the hospital. She wondered if there was anything left of her original self as well.

"But thank you, it means a lot," was all she came up with. Who was comforting who now? Staring into the night sky, Hikari began to wonder how her life had come to this. Only a few weeks ago she had been spending some of the quietest, not exactly the most enjoyable, but mostly unspectacular years of her life. But now? Her brother had found and tried to kill her which resulted in her going to U.A. of all schools, she was groomed to be a hero whether she liked or not, then she got caught up in one of the probably most disastrous villain attacks of recent history, ended up in the hospital for the second time during these weeks, speaking about some of the most personal experiences she could think of.

"You're a lot more talkative on the phone." Midoriya brought her back to here and now. He had a point. She shrugged, then again realized he couldn't see it. "You're one to say."

A wheezing sound came from the other side. Had he… Attempted to laugh?

"Thank you, Shi- Hikari. I do feel a little better now. I guess I'll try to get some sleep."

"Yeah, do that. Good night, Midoriya. And don't hesitate to call if anything happens." Hikari prayed she wasn't out of line.

"I will, good night. You should try too."

"Already on it."

They ended the call. While Hikari was thoroughly happy it seemed to be at least a little bit of help, another realisation hit her. There had to be others. They couldn't be the only ones suffering from a villainous parentage. But what happened to them? Were they lucky enough to get help? Or did they fall into despair and become the exact thing they were so afraid of? The mere thought sent a shiver down her spine. Watching Midoriya was hard enough, she didn't want to see anyone else breaking down like that. She wanted it to stop. She… She wanted to help. Prevent those things from happening over and over again. Hikari didn't care about being a hero, her chances of becoming one were as low as before, U.A. changed nothing. She was perfectly fine knowing her circumstances, should the public ever be made aware of them, would see to that. But she also knew she would never, ever voluntarily hurt people, not like her family did. She would never become a villain.

All she really wanted was to not be weak anymore. She wanted to become strong. Strong enough to beat her brother, strong enough to encourage and protect those who struggled with the same things she did. In a way, it was selfish. She didn't care. If U.A. could make her strong and help her achieve that, she would get through everything they tossed at her. And if earning the title of hero, although feeling fake, would enable her to reach her goal, she would do so.

Once she was strong, she wouldn't be a drag anymore. Had she only been able to see that and get stronger sooner, maybe she could have fended those villains off. Maybe Divination wouldn't have gotten hurt. Maybe he wouldn't be in a coma right now, no one knowing if he would ever open his eyes again.

* * *

 **A/N:  
** totally killed the formating of the chat so I had to improvise...

The next chapter is titled «nightmares». You're welcome.

 **FrostyAngelWings: T** hanks so much for the comments! I hope you liked it, even though you weren't prepared…


	19. nightmare

**Chapter 19: Nightmares**

Izuku felt empty. He had no tears left to cry. It had been decided not to inform his mother of the new villain probably being her husband until evidence could be provided. Obviously, that didn't work out. He was utterly terrified, he couldn't lie to his mother. From the first second of their reunion, she knew there was something he wasn't telling her. It took Izuku exactly three hours to break down.

His mother clung to him, tried to soothe him. He didn't know how long he cried. She held him in a tight embrace and he wished she would never let go. He couldn't take it any longer.

"Mom… How much do you know about my father?"

Inko stared at him, eyes wide, completely unprepared. "I-Izuku… What are you saying…?"

"Has he… Did he ever call? Did he write? Have you seen him? Do you know _anything_?"

"Izuku!" She let go to look at him. "I don't understand, what's going on?"

He couldn't say it, it would break her heart. He had already caused her so much pain.

"Why did he leave?"

His mother took a step back. Her eyes were watering, her lips quivering. "I… He said it was important. He promised to be back one day. He sent us money every month for the past thirteen years…"

"But have you ever talked to him?" Izuku hated how pressing he sounded.

"I- No. Not once." Inko's gaze dropped.

"Do you still love him?"

"Izuku-"

"Please!" He didn't cry but his voice shook. His mother let go, hiding her face behind her hands. "I… I don't know. It's been so long..." Her arms dropped. She looked up to her son, their eyes met. He couldn't stand it.

"Was he in Onderon? Is that it?" She wasn't stupid.

"Yes."

"Izuku. Izuku look at me." She cupped his cheek, lifted his chin until their eyes locked again. She stared right into his soul. She didn't need a quirk to understand what was going on inside of him, she was his mother.

"He… He wasn't one of the good ones, was he?"

Izuku almost choked on the word. "No."

Inko's eyes travelled from his face to his arm where she knew his burn marks to be. They covered most of his left side, a constant reminder of what he had been through. Izuku saw the tears streaming down her face, but she didn't sob.

"Did he do this to you?"

Whether it was motherly intuition, or she had already expected her husband to go down this road, he couldn't tell. He didn't answer. He didn't need to. He just wrapped her in another hug, not wanting to let go ever again.

All things considered… She took it well. Izuku reassured her that there were heroes stationed outside, looking out for them. After that they didn't speak of it again. But as normal as they tried to act, Izuku could see how much it ate her, he saw how she stopped and stared into space until a sound caught her attention. In the end the U.A. student called All Might and asked for a few more days off. His mentor went straight to the principal and gave him the permission only an hour later.

Izuku didn't know what he was supposed to do. He wanted to stay with his mother, make sure she was alright. But he also wanted to go back to his friends at U.A. They gave him two more days off, he would be picked up Tuesday night. Two more days to figure out how to help his mom, how to put on a straight face. Two more days to get rid of his nightmares.

He couldn't sleep. He had no appetite. His burns hurt like hell, although they were supposed to be healed. After googling for hours, he finally accepted that it was purely psychological. Such things could happen after a trauma. He wondered whether Todoroki's scar hurt from time to time.

The young hero in training was also aware that he looked like shit. There was no better way to put it. His eyes were blood-shot, dark circles growing. His complexion was pale and when he started with a light workout again, exercises suggested by a doctor, he became tired too easily. His body felt feeble, broken. Whenever he closed his eyes, whenever it grew dark, he was reminded of Onderon, the attack, Dragon. Izuku saw him smiling around every corner, lurking in the background of every stupid YouTube add, he felt his flames burning his skin, slowly, an excruciating pain taking over his left side.

Watching the news didn't help either. Dragon's broadcast was everywhere. Izuku didn't need to say anything the first time they aired it. His mother turned away, hugged him and cried. He kissed her head, held her tight. They turned off the TV every time someone dared to mention him or Onderon.

107 heroes, sidekicks and interns had been stationed in the city during the attack. 37 of them pronounced dead, 53 suffered light to critical injuries, seventeen were still missing. Not one had left the city unscathed. The number of victims on the side of the civilians was even higher. 162 casualties, 211 still missing, most of them buried by collapsed infrastructure or "collateral damage" from the fights between the villains and heroes. It caused an uproar on every media channel, people were throwing their opinions in each other's faces. And all because of Dragon. All because of _his father._

Izuku curled himself into a ball but sleep didn't come. He winced at every sound. Even if he fell asleep he would wake trying to hold back a scream, his dreams filled with terror. He didn't believe he would be able to go on like this for very long. In his desperation, he called Shikora one night. He felt bad about reaching out to her again, but she seemed so understanding. She knew the fears and troubles his situation brought. And Izuku somehow began to understand where she came from, even if only a little.

Of course, he considered calling Iida or Uraraka, but they didn't know, and he didn't want them to worry. What would they think if he called them in the middle of the night, barely holding it together, not being able to speak? He couldn't do that. He would talk to them, face to face, once he was back at U.A., he would tell them everything.

Hikari told him to focus on the good things in life. His mom, his friends, his happy times at U.A. She sent him articles about heroes and villains, always making sure they were unrelated to Onderon, telling him she had nothing better to do while staying at the hospital anyway. Izuku also found out that they gave him exactly two more days off, so he would return to the dorms the same time as her.

Monday noon his mother suddenly stood in front of him, eyes wide, holding an envelope in her shaking hands. "Izuku… What is this?"

The envelope was rather big and thin, it couldn't hold more than a few pages. The logo of the hospital in Onderon's neighbour city decorated the front. Under careful inspection Izuku noticed that It had already been opened. Catching him staring at the tear Inko explained, "I thought it was a bill or info about further treatment, but…But…" Her voice shook. Confused, Izuku removed the contents, staring at the dark foil in his hands. It was the X-ray he had asked for. His eyes travelled to his little toe. A wave of nausea hit him.

The X-ray slipped from his hands and suddenly his mother's arms were around him. She cried harder than before and he joined in. His whole world broke apart. There it was, his missing toe joint. His father had told the truth. Izuku had most likely been born with a quirk.

Tuesday evening came sooner than he liked. The future Symbol of Peace took a shower, tried to make himself look more presentable but failed miserably. He looked as dead as before. Inko brushed his bangs out of his face.

"It will be fine, dear," she said with a sad smile on her lips. Izuku wrapped her in another hug.

"I know. I'm gonna miss you."

"Don't worry about me, I'll be alright. The heroes will protect me, remember?" She handed him his backpack. "Just call whenever you feel like it. At least twice a week, okay?"

"Okay, mom." He managed a small smile of his own.

The car was already waiting in front of the apartment block. Izuku and All Might were seated in the back, Midnight and the driver in the front. Apparently, his teacher was there to ensure his safety. Was this how his life would be going from now on? Being escorted by a hero wherever he went?

All Might hadn't been able to fully cover up his alarmed expression as he saw the terrible state his successor was in. The man tried his best to sound cheerful. "You can move freely on the campus, the heroes won't pester you there. But for the time being, you're not allowed to leave without the approval of the principal and only with a pro hero as your escort. I'm sorry, young Midoriya." Izuku noted with a nod. They were silent for the rest of the way.

Arriving at the gates of U.A. another car pulled up behind them. Izuku watched Aizawa-sensei getting out in the front, Hikari coming from the back. The girl shily waved at him.

"We scheduled it so you both would arrive at the same time. Knowing your class, it will be easier for you two to explain everything together," All Might confirmed his suspicion. But what was there to explain? They weren't allowed to say anything anyway, due to it still being subject to an ongoing investigation.

"Thank you, All Might."

"Always, my boy." The previous Symbol of Peace squeezed Izuku's shoulder. The student managed to muster up a tiny smile. All Might excused himself, letting Aizawa lead them to the dorms. As if they didn't know where to find them.

"Alright, I guess you know which door to take. Don't forget to check in at Recovery Girl's tomorrow. Should any problems occur, physically, mentally," he paused, "don't hesitate to call any teacher of your choice. Understood?"

"Yes, Aizawa-sensei," both confirmed with as much glee as he held his early morning classes. Aizawa sighed. "You better. Have fun."

They exchanged a questioning look at the last sentence, but the teacher left without another word. They stood in front of the door, neither of them trying to open it. Hikari broke the silence, "Back to everyday life, huh?"

It still didn't feel real. "Thank you for answering my calls."

"Uhm, welcome. I won't pretend to know exactly what you're going through, but I kind of can relate. So, again, if you need anything, I'll be there."

"Thank you."

"Please stop thanking me and open the door, Midoriya-kun."

Izuku readied himself. He knew he still looked terrible. Most of the left side of his body was covered in bandages, hiding the hideous marks left by Dragon. He felt a soft touch on his upper arm. It was a reserved gesture meant to reassure him. Hikari immediately drew back. He tried his best to offer a smile. He needed to put up a brave front for his friends. Izuku took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

The entrance was empty. They left their shoes on the doorstep, grabbing their slippers from the shoe cabinet. It was strangely quiet inside considering it was a Tuesday evening. Was there an important exam tomorrow? What did he miss? Bemused, Izuku went deeper inside, peeking into the common area.

Someone squealed.

He had no time to react. Arms were wrapped around him, auburn hair pressing against his cheek.

"DEKU-KUN!" Uraraka cried. Multiple people screamed some variations of his name, Iida appeared in front of him, slicing through the air with his arms. Kirishima padded him on the back, people were all yelling at the same time, somewhere in the back he heard Bakugou scream DIE. Uraraka let go of him, wiping the relieved tears from her face. Izuku was dragged towards the couch. He was greeted by Tokoyami, Shouji, Asui, Ojiro and even Aoyama tried to feed him some cheese.

Remembering where he came from Izuku threw a glance over his shoulder. He felt relief at the sight of Hikari's surprised expression as Yaoyorozu guided her after them by the hand. Turning back to the rest of the class he found an assortment of snacks and drinks covering the small table between the sitting accommodation.

"Aizawa-sensei told us that you were coming back tonight," Iida explained, "so we, as a class, prepared a little welcome back party for the two of you!"

Izuku was at loss for words. Reality began to sink it. He was back at the dorm with all his friends. Warmth filled his chest. They were so happy to see him, and he couldn't overlook the fact that a lot of the snacks on the table were not so subtly All Might themed. He couldn't help but feel save, home. Only a week ago he would have started crying out of happiness, now the tears still wouldn't come. Although he tried his best, the slight frown wouldn't fully leave his face as he thankfully smiled at his friends.

Life went on as if nothing happened. Izuku went to his classes, listened to the others when they told him about their internships. A few 2-B students passed them at lunch. Monoma already set out to offer some insults but was stopped by Kendo, who then welcomed Izuku and told him her class was happy he had returned in one piece. He didn't think they even knew much less cared about it, but according to Kaminari, his and Hikari's presence in Onderon had been the topic of all conversations the past two days.

No one asked him about what happened. He could see the curiosity in their eyes, but someone must have told them not to. He was incredibly grateful. He didn't know whether he had the strength to talk about it yet.

After class, he started catching up on the subject material of the past two days. Iida copied him his notes, Todoroki then told him about the rescue exercise they had had on Monday. After their study session he called his mom, then went through the exercises Dr. Noma suggested. He was only allowed to return to physical hero training on Friday, taking special care not to irritate his fresh scars.

Life went on, and he had to do so too.

* * *

It was still warm outside, a nice soft breeze tugging at Toshinori's face. Small clouds wandered sporadically across the sky. He was on his way back from a meeting with his fellow teachers, discussing how to proceed with the situation, given that they had two students with villainous parentage in the hero course now. The press would feast on them once they found out.

Who would have thought being a teacher was that tiring? He sighed, dragging himself across the schoolyard. Classes were over, and a lot of students enjoyed the nice weather, studying or doing whatever teenagers did those days outside. Still not liking the idea of walking around in his permanently weakened body, Toshinori chose to detour. The less students he encountered, the better. He turned into a gravel path sided by grass and occasional trees with benches underneath. Halfway through, he paused, recognizing a familiar face. Something was still plaguing him. The former Symbol of Peace greeted his student, "Good afternoon, young Shikogane. Mind if I sit?"

The girl jolted out of her trance. A book lay on her lap, but she had been absently staring up to the sky. "S-sure."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you."

"It's, uhm, fine, sensei." She seemed uncomfortable. Was it because of his questioning at the hospital?

"How are you doing?" Toshinori asked for the lack of a better way to initiate a conversation. The girl closed her book and steadied herself. "Fine. Everything's going back to how it was before."

"I see." Somehow, that didn't sound fine. An awkward silence stretched between them, the unease slowly grabbing hold of the teacher. He decided to get straight to the point, "I wanted to thank you. Young Midoriya told me a bit of what you're doing for him. I understand that there are things he cannot discuss with us adults, so he's lucky to have someone to talk to. I just wanted to thank you for being there for him."

Shikogane looked baffled. "You're, uh, welcome. It's the least I can do."

They fell quiet again and Toshinori remembered his thoughts from the hospital. One more attempt. "I heard you got additional classes to catch up with your classmates. How is it going?"

She eyed him warily, as if expecting some sort of backlash. She clearly had trust issues. How didn't he notice before? Maybe it was worth talking to Aizawa about it.

"Well, I can study a lot of the material myself, so I only need to be present to ask questions and write exams while the others have basic hero training. My old school was more advanced in many subjects, it's mostly the heroics related stuff I really need to catch up. That and the additional physical training Aizawa-sensei gives me after school."

"Sounds intense. Are you doing well?"

She hesitated. "Aizawa-sensei told me I'd soon be done with the subject material, I still need a lot of his training lessons."

Toshinori nodded, it made sense. Being thrown into a different class, the hero course even, had to be difficult. "I'm sure you will catch up to your friends in no time."

Once again, the girl went completely still. It didn't matter what he said, something seemed to always trouble her.

"I just- I've been doing some sort of training all my life, even if it was only self-defence, but I'm still so far behind. I worked until my body wouldn't move anymore, but I still couldn't do anything. The villains in Onderon, they were _toying_ with us. I couldn't do anything - people got hurt, people _died_ and all I could do was watch and run because I was too weak to do anything, it's just like before-"

He laid his bony hand on her shoulder. "Easy, young Shikogane, easy. I cannot imagine what you have been through, in Onderon and before, but don't put yourself down. You're young, still learning. No one expects you to take on a full-grown villain."

"But I still had to," she bit her lip, "and there was nothing I could do. I don't want to be helpless anymore. I need to become strong. I want to be able to do things. When- when I saw what happened to Midoriya, I remembered what I had gone through, and I don't want him or anyone else having to go through this. I know it sound selfish, but-"

"It's not selfish," Toshinori interrupted, "you want to save others from that fate, and that is never a selfish thing. I have seen so many heroes, professionals, with much lesser ideals."

She looked at him as if she'd seen a ghost. Somewhere in the distance a group of people broke into laughter.

"All Might-sensei, do you think… Do you think that as a hero, I could do something about it?"

A tricky question. "Young Shikogane, we're simply here to guide you, to offer you the opportunity to become a hero. What you do once the title is bestowed to you, is entirely up to you." It was truly all he could do. Now, after losing all his power, he could only assist his students with his expertise. He could not provide further support, as much as it pained him. He couldn't protect anymore, he was the once needing protection.

"And you think I could accomplish that even with my background?" Shikogane spoke out of the blue. Toshinori carefully examined her expression.

"I'm not going to lie, it will be hard for you. No one except for the school staff knows, but it's only a matter of time until the truth comes out. No one can tell what the consequences will be. But I promise, U.A. will provide you with the best support they can offer."

"But not everyone will be on their side." Of course, she looked further ahead, it had to be expected. Before he could say anything, she added, "Also not all of the school staff."

Toshinori sighed. It was true. He remembered the meeting in which Nedzu had informed them about Shikogane's background. Not all the teachers took it well. It wasn't just that she came from a villain but had lived with two of them for three years, having to watch their work. That certainly played a role in the general distrust spreading. She couldn't have gone unaffected by that and if she did, that would be even worse.

"Prejudices die hard, that is true. But you must trust us. And who would I be to accept young Midoriya but condemn my other students? He has shown us all what greatness can be born from evil. So, I trust you too are very much capable."

Her eyes widened. Admittedly, the ex number one hero had been wary at first as well. But after hearing of the connection between Dragon and Midoriya, his attitude changed. He now understood that the current opinion of the public had to be extremely troubling to the likes of Shikogane. Always being seen only for what their villainous families did, never for their own achievements. Maybe society needed someone like her to put an end to that discrimination.

"Thank you, sensei. I'll do my best." She sounded more at ease than before.

"Don't mention it. Well then," he got up, "I think it's time for me to leave."

After they bid their farewells, Toshinori felt livelier than before. Maybe he couldn't jump into action anymore, but he could still support his students with his words, helping to create a new generation of formidable and admirable heroes.

* * *

Izuku called his mother every night since he left. She tried to sound cheerful, but he heard the pain in her voice. Dragon was still everywhere, the new super-villain. Was he going to become the next All for One, now that the Symbol of Peace was gone? Izuku avoided visiting his usual hero news pages, he tried not to think about it. About this man, who he was, what he had done. They still weren't any closer to getting him, despite the massive commotion he caused.

SingSong sent him a selfie of her and the rest of Psy Doc's agency, including the other sidekick hadn't gotten the chance to meet. They were helping clearing the city, as all remaining heroes did. Aside from that, everything in his life turned back to normal. His class did a good job at distracting him, so did U.A. by always introducing new ways of teaching them. Still he was glad when Friday came, and he could finally put on his repaired hero suit. Opening the case, he ignored the weight seemingly placed on his back at the sight. No time to mope, it was time to get out and be a hero, like he always wanted to.

Izuku relieved himself of his clothes and slipped in his suit, when Kaminari suddenly burst out, " _Shit_ , dude!"

Izuku continued to pull up his suit, only slowly turning to see what was going on. He did not expect to find all eyes on him. "Wha-what? Did I do something wrong?"

"Midoriya…" Todoroki spoke up, eyes fixed on his body. Izuku followed his gaze. Then he realized. _The burns_. He hadn't told his friends about them yet.

"I-it's nothing," he stammered, quickly putting on the rest of his suit and pulling up the zipper. He couldn't talk about it. Not here, not now. Not anytime soon. The others were still looking at him.

"Man, these look really awful! What-"

Iida protectively rose up in front of Izuku, putting the boys back into place, "Midoriya is clearly not comfortable talking about it, so please give him some space!"

Oh, Iida. Izuku didn't know where he'd be without his friends. He whispered a quiet thank you as the others turned to finish gearing up. Iida returned a sharp nod.

Despite the rough start, Izuku was still in an upbeat mood. He couldn't go all out but refine his technique. The usual chatter broke out once they assembled in the gym. Some of his male classmates still threw occasional glances, but he was able to block it out. They would get used to the sight eventually.

Ectoplasm, Cementoss and Aizawa-sensei joined them, the latter closing all chatter. "Alright, today we continue where we stopped last time. Shikogane will watch you from the side lines today, so maybe try not to kill her." The whole class turned to the entrance where the girl shily waved at them, a notebook in the other hand.

"Ectoplasm will provide clones for you if needed. That'd be it."

The students quickly spread, some asking the teachers to create obstacles or get an Ectoplasm clone to train with. Izuku threw another glance over his shoulder. He didn't have the chance to talk to Hikari in private since they returned to U.A. They wrote a lot at night, just casual things to distract themselves, but he still felt like there was some unresolved issue. That could wait though, it was time to train. He decided to work on his agility. Would he have been able to escape the Puppeteer and Voodoo's grasp if he had been faster? Could he have escaped Dragon's fire?

 _Don't think of Onderon. Don't think of Onderon._

He took a deep breath and jumped.

Training did go well, so far. Izuku hopped between the pillars created by Cementoss. He worked on his landings, bouncing off in a random direction, trying to react in the best way possible to his new surroundings. The pillar under his feet was cold and slippery. He subconsciously noted Todoroki's presence and landed on the closest spot not covered by ice. Then he saw it.

Flames. Orange, flickering, wild, strong, paining. For a moment, they flickered green. It was his mind playing tricks on him, yet he froze. He couldn't move. He stared at the flames, wide eyed, saw them raging in his direction. They came close, so close, so hot, but body wouldn't move-

Something hard collided with his side, tossing him across the field until he crashed into another pillar. "THE HECK YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING JUST STANDING THERE, SHITTY NERD?"

Izuku scrambled to his feet, staring at an enraged Bakugou. Little explosions flickered in his palms. "YOU WANNA DIE OR WHAT?"

He couldn't answer. More people rushed over.

"OI, ARE YOU LISTENING?" He was, he was listening, but he couldn't bring himself to speak. His mind was blank.

"Everyone, back to training!" Aizawa ordered, rushing towards the small group of people. The students wanted to protest, but he drove them off.

"That goes for you as well, Bakugou."

Izuku watched his childhood friend and bully wander off, eyes fixed on him until he propelled himself up with his explosions. Aizawa pulled Izuku to the side by his sleeve. The student blinked, not quite understanding what just happened.

"That's enough for you for today. Go change and see Recovery Girl."

Izuku still didn't understand. "But - I'm fine, why-"

"No objections." The teacher pushed him towards the exit, then turned to the side line. "Shikogane, make sure he gets there."

Hikari jogged up to them, pencil and open notebook still in her hands. Izuku saw the worry in her eyes. She led him down the hallway and he could feel Aizawa staring after them. Out of hearing range, the girl held him back, "Midoriya."

Izuku tried to answer, he parted his lips, but nothing came out. He wanted to take a deep breath but after the third attempt he realized he couldn't. He was suffocating. He gasped for air, his knees became week, his mind was filled with panic, sweat was dripping down his temples, he felt cold, his scars burned-

"Midoriya, Midoriya look at me!" Two hands cupped his cheeks, forcing him to look up. He met golden eyes. "Breath, but slowly. Follow me, okay? You need to slow down. Breathe in, not so fast, let the air fill your stomach, you hear me? Good, now exhale, don't rush it. Let all the air out. Now inhale again, careful, slow. Yes, like that. Now exhale."

He tried his best. His whole body shook, and his vision was blurry, but he tried to follow. Breath in, breath out. He couldn't say how long he struggled, but he felt incredibly exhausted once his brain started working again. Noticing the clarity returning to his eyes, the girl let go of him. He only now realized they were kneeling on the floor, still in the hallway. Hikari eyed him thoroughly before offering a hand.

"I think you should get changed. I'll wait here."

It was never going to be the way it was before, was it?


	20. A plus parenting

**Chapter 20: A+ parenting**

 **Panic attack.**

Izuku stared at the words in disbelief.

"It's not the end of the world, Midoriya-kun. I would be surprised and worried if all that didn't affect to you," Recovery Girl tried to encourage him. It still felt like a death sentence.

"Will it happen again?"

"It's hard to say," the old lady handed him a candy, "it depends on your circumstances and you. The trigger was fire?" She looked up at Hikari who awkwardly sat on a chair beside the bed Izuku was seated on. She had offered to leave, but Izuku told her to stay. The irrational part of his brain was too afraid it might happen again and he had no idea how to deal with it on his own.

"Yes," the girl answered.

"Well, then. Fire is a common thing, especially in your future line of work. For now I prescribe keeping your mind and body healthy. A healthy diet, enough sleep and an appropriate workout," she especially stressed the two last demands, "are important factors. They will help lowering your stress level."

Izuku nodded at the school nurse. A hero afraid of fire? Ridiculous. He was already paying attention to what he ate and changing his workout routine sounded doable. But getting enough sleep? It was not like he had any say in what he dreamt about.

"Don't look at me like that, young man! If you're lucky and it will remain a single case scenario. Can I hear a verbal confirmation?"

"Y-yes."

"Good. I'll dismiss you for the day." Recovery girl fetched a form from the upper drawer of her desk and started scribbling. Izuku was glad, he was in desperate need of a shower and could use a nap. He didn't get a wink of sleep last night. Recovery girl finished filling the paper and handed it over to HIkari. "Will you give this to your teacher, dear?"

They left the infirmary and Izuku popped the candy in his mouth. His friends must be worried. Sharing the thought Hikari wanted to know, "What should I tell them?"

Good question. What did he want them to know? In theory: everything. He wanted to be able to talk to his friends about all the things that troubled him. In reality? He still hadn't found a way to confess. He was too afraid they might see him in a different light. Would they be mad? Scared even? Would they not want to be his friends anymore?

"Midoriya…"

Crap, he was muttering again.

"I'll just tell them you're not feeling well, so you can think about it some more, okay?" Hikari suggested.

"Yeah, thanks, that would be great. A-and thanks for, you know, taking care of me back there." They reached the stairs. The next period had already started, the halls were empty. He was going to miss Japanese and English. Another thought crossed his mind. "How did you know what to do back there?"

"There was this kid at Seishin, he had some kind of quirk-phobia."

Izuku gaped at her. "Now you're kidding."

"No, I'm not." She shrugged. "Whenever he heard or read something related to quirks during school, he panicked. It was really sad. On the other hand, we all learned how to deal with it. At least it was educational."

Quirk-phobia? _That_ he had never heard of, never even thought about. But it sounded reasonable for a Seishin kid, somehow. They reached the next floor where 1-A's classroom was situated. It was time for the two to go separate ways. There was one last question Izuku liked to ask, but it was very personal. When he looked up he found Hikari expectantly watching him. He scratched the back of his head. Was he that easy to read?

"Have you ever had a panic attack before?"

She pursed her lips and paused, carefully weighting which information to give away. "Yes, the first few months after I escaped my family. But it got better. I still froze in Onderon when I felt my brother's quirk, but I managed to shake out of it. It will get better, just like the nightmares. Don't worry too much about it."

It wasn't the answer he liked to hear but the one he expected.

* * *

Hikari groaned in frustration. She shook off the mosquito that landed on her arm. It was incredible how many insects were attracted by the tiny ray of her phone's flashlight. Maybe it wasn't such a good idea to train at the edge of the forest bordering the campus at night. Not many passed the area after sunset which was why she liked this place so much. Officially, she wasn't allowed to exercise until the end of the week, but she grew sick of sitting around doing nothing because honestly, she wasn't used to having any free time. Aside from not having any hobbies, she was still if not even _more_ anxious about talking to her classmates after everything that happened. So, she definitely didn't want to be around them at the moment.

The former Seishin student went over the notes she took during basic hero training that day. She found her classmates to be inspiring with their special moves and very, very, freaking strong. All while being awestruck, she also grew frustrated. She had joined a whole semester later than the others and while most of them already got their provisional licenses, she was stuck practicing basic quirk control and hand to hand combat. She would _never_ catch up to them-

 _Enough_. She was driving herself crazy. Throwing a last glance at the spidery handwriting on lined pages she closed the notebook with a deep sigh. They had given her ideas but most of them were rather hard or impossible to implement at her current level. Maybe Aizawa-sensei was right considering moving her to General Education, should she not be able to present any results soon. She didn't deserve to be here anyway, she only was thanks to the protection program she was in. The girl felt conflicted. Despite the odds, she didn't want to leave the heroics department. Graduating was her only chance to be free. Her chance to stand up to and defeat her brother, her chance at getting stronger, clearing her name, protecting people from the same fate she and Midoriya had to go through…

Upset with the state of things the girl created ball of particles and counted. One, two, three, four. It was always four. No matter how hard she tried, the particles would disappear after exactly four seconds, meaning that was her time limit. Even if she separated some of the general flow of her quirk and threw them at a target, which she only figured out moments ago was possible, it would disappear before reaching its destination.

She lifted her head at the approaching steps. There was none other than Jirou passing not too far away, all by herself. Not being held back since training didn't make any progress anyway, Hikari picked up her belongings and followed. The expression in Jirou's face was stern, her brows were furrowed. She was deep in thought, big earphones on her head. A little worried, Hikari called out, "Kyouka?"

Her classmate didn't notice her until she caught up. Confused, Jirou pulled the headphones down and stared at her. "Hikari? What are you doing here?"

"Uhm, just training a little bit. Is everything alright? You looked a little down."

Jirou blushed and quickly turned away, waving with her hands. "A, no, it's nothing! I went for a walk, I'm going back to the dorms now."

"Oh, I see, sorry." That was awkward. What was Hikari supposed to do now? She fanned herself with her notebook, asking the only thing that came to her mind, "Mind if I tag along?"

Jirou fetched her phone from the pocket of her jacket to pause her music. "N-no."

Hikari mustered up a small smile and kept pace with her classmate. Neither of them had anything to say, though. Great, now the situation had gotten more awkward. Jirou pressed a few buttons on her phone. Out of curiosity, Hikari snuck a peek. At least her classmate had a good taste in music.

"You know Row Row Robot?" Jirou suddenly asked, catching Hikari of guard. The ex Seishin student immediately drew back, being caught red handed. "Uh, yeah, I like them."

"What's your favourite song?"

Hikari considered carefully. " _Catchphrase_ is pretty good, but I also like _high bargain_."

Jirous face instantly lit up. "Really? High bargain is one of my faves as well! I'm actually trying to cover it, but I just can't get that one part of the solo right." She was in high spirit, she had to be very passionate about it. Which was good because now they had something to talk about, making this walk less awkward. Hikari tried to keep the conversation going, "Is that why you looked so focused just now?"

The other girl grinned sheepishly. "Yep. I thought taking a walk would help clearing my mind, but it didn't work. Guess I'll have to try tomorrow. How was your training going?"

A stab in the back. Maybe Hikari shouldn't have asked. She shrugged again. "Not that great either."

"I see."

Way to end a conversation. Hikari absentmindedly scratched her cheek. How far was it to the dorms…?

"Do you play any instruments? Or have any other hobbies?" Jirou asked. "Just wondering. You didn't tell us much about yourself." The way she was fumbling her headphones made it obvious she felt as awkward as Hikari did. That made the later feel a little better.

"Nah, not really, I didn't have much time for that. Do you have any?"

"That's a shame, hobbies really help balance out all the stress. I always play some of my favourite songs the night before an exam, that helps a lot. I could teach you some of Row Row Robot's songs, if you like. I already taught some of the others, Mina really enjoyed playing the guitar."

Taken aback, all Hikari could do was stare at her classmate. Why was she so nice and obliging? Did Momo set her up to this? Either way, she couldn't refuse, could she? She had already shaken off Tsuyu's request for joining them on a shopping trip in town tomorrow. So, she decided to accept, "Sure, why not. Maybe you're right, I think I could need some change."

* * *

His short nap turned out to be longer than anticipated. But he surprisingly got a few hours of sleep, not being plagued by nightmares. As he arrived down stairs, Izuku found some of the others in the common area. The TV was on, most of the girls were playing a board game. Kaminari and Mineta sat on one of the couches, discussing - he really didn't want to know. Not when Mineta was involved. But he was surprised to find Jirou apparently showing some of her music to Hikari.

"Deku-kun!" Uraraka waved. "Are you feeling better? We put some leftovers in the fridge for you!"

"Ah, thank you! Yes, I'm already feeling a lot better." There went his chance to tell the truth. He went to the kitchen area, hunger made its presence felt. He grabbed his meal and sat down at Uraraka's side. She wasn't participating in the board game but it didn't stop her from cheering on her friends.

"Iida copied his notes again," she informed him, still watching them play, "I think he's getting really good at that."

Izuku grimaced. He felt bad for Iida. How many times was he going to miss class? His eyes briefly met HIkari's but the girl quickly turned her attention back to Jirou's phone. He pitched into the cold rice, too hungry to warm it in the microwave. He could feel how Uraraka snuck peeks at him. He was pretty sure the boys had told everyone what they had seen in the dressing room. That and the fire, it was easy to put two and two together. Despite losing his appetite at the thought, he forced the rest of the rice down. He needed strength to make a fast recovery. Eating healthy and catching enough sleep could help, Recovery Girl had told him. Mustering up his courage, Izuku turned to his friend, "Uraraka-san?" He couldn't look her in the eyes.

"What's up?" She sounded cheerful as ever, not showing her concern.

"If it's not a problem, I would like to speak to you, Iida and Todoroki tomorrow. In private." They were his closest peers, they would listen, they would understand. He hoped.

Izuku didn't need to look at his friend to feel the change in her expression. It was apparent from her voice. "O-of course it's not! I'm going out with Tsuyu and the others after lunch, but I'm free before and after! And Iida should be as well, he said something about using tomorrow to summarize everything from this week."

Izuku nodded. He knew the girl liked to sleep in, also he needed time to mentally prepare himself. "After dinner, then? I'll write Iida-kun and Todoroki-kun to see if they're free."

Uraraka smiled, but her eyebrows were uncharacteristically drawn together. "Sounds great!"

* * *

 _My boy_

All Might?

 _Come closer, my boy_

It was dark. Izuku couldn't see a thing. It was like his legs moved, at the same time he couldn't move at all. Why was it so dark in here?

 _My boy… Son._

No, it wasn't All Might. But he knew that voice.

 _Where are you going? Come here, son, let me show you…_

No. Izuku tried to run faster. Again, it felt like he was running, wind lashing into his face. He had to get out of here, he had to get away from that man-

 _Izuku, what are you doing? There's nowhere for you to go._

He tried to go faster and faster, faster until the ground disappeared under his feet and he fell. He was falling endlessly into the void, he tried to grab hold of something, but only steaming air slipped through his fingers. The scars on his hands began to glow. Terrified, Izuku activated One for All, he wanted to stop falling, but the usual green charges of excess energy started to change. They didn't disappear, they became wobbly masses that had a life of their own, they started flickering, they grew into hot, bickering flames-

He landed face first on the floor with a loud thud. The hit knocked the air from his lungs, the only reason he didn't scream. His whole body was drenched in cold sweat, he gasped for air.

 _It was only a dream, nothing more. A simple, stupid dream._

It took him a few minutes to calm down and accept that fact that he was safe in his room. Nothing could happen in here. Nothing. Izuku got up, rubbing his throbbing front. That would leave a bump. He was wide awake but at the same time incredibly exhausted. He shook his limbs to regain control. A look at the clock told him that it was half past twelve. Great, he had gotten almost half an hour of sleep and would most likely not be getting much more that night.

Izuku roamed around his small room, restless, until his foot stepped into something wet. He stumbled back, reaching for his desk lamp. The pool at his feet was nothing more than water, but his whole room was a mess. Water drops sprinkled the wall, reaching almost up to his All Might posters. The bottle it came from was in pieces, looking like it exploded from some reason. But that couldn't be, it was tab water. He remembered putting it on the bedrest before going to sleep. How did it explode all over his bedroom? He could have accidentally pushed it down in his sleep, but that didn't explain how it burst…

Or did it? He had had a nightmare. He struggled enough to fall out of his bed. He did activate his quirk in his sleep, was it possible that…?

* * *

A glass of soda was all she wanted, all she needed to gulp down the dry cereal bar. Using her quirk had made her hungry and the stash in her room was growing shorter by the day. Hikari walked down the stairs almost blindly, she didn't want to turn on the light and attract attention. Iida wouldn't appreciate seeing her walk around past midnight. She reached the second floor when a scream came from the ground floor. Not putting any thought in it she dashed off, jumping down the last two sets of stairs. If she wasn't completely wrong… "Ochako!"

Hikari stumbled across the common area into the hallway, spotting the silhouette of her classmate sitting on the floor. She came down at her side. "Ochako, what's-"

The other girl shakily pointed towards the ceiling. In the dim light of the halfmoon Hikari recognized something dangling from there. It was a long cord of some sort, carrying something undefinable suspended in the air. It almost looked like a…

"B-b-body-" Ochako stammered, still pointing at the thing. Hikari instinctively grabbed hold of her classmate. More steps came from behind, people stormed into the hallway.

"Guys, what's going on?" Satou cried somewhere. The newly arrived seemed to follow where Ochako's finger pointed to, breaking out in gasps and muted screeches. Was there really-?

The world was drenched in light. Multiple people groaned, all shielding their eyes. Who turned on the light?

"What the hell you think you're doing screaming like that in the middle of the night you damn pricks?!" Bakugou, unmistakably. "And why the fuck is grape-head up there?!"

Completely stunned by his appearance, the students turned from the explosive boy back to the supposed hanging corps. In reality, it was nothing more than Mineta taped from head to toe, dangling in front of the door.

"Oh yeah," Sero joined them, "sorry about that. I heard him talking to himself about sneaking in the girl's bathroom so I taped him up and kinda forgot to let him down."

Ochako made a noise that expressed the release of tension and gratitude all while being reproachful at the same time. Nothing could have summarized the situation better. Bakugou started screaming at his kind of friend while a few of the others cried out in relief. Too much excitement for the middle of the night. Hagakure, who Hikari hadn't noticed before, helped Ochako back on her wobbly feet. Fast approaching steps announced Iida's arrival who dutifully tried to chase everyone back to their rooms.

Hikari sighed, scratching her naked arm. She just wanted a sip of something that wasn't water, nothing more- She suddenly realized. _Oh no_. The only time she ever wore shorts and a short sleeved shirt was at night. Of course, she had to run into some kind of trouble now. She felt exposed, the lights were on, there was no way she could hide her scars. Luckily everyone seemed to be distracted. Everyone except Mineta trying to make himself heard with muffled screaming underneath Sero's tape. With a hiss Hikari fired a spike of her quirk at the tape suspending him like she had practiced the evening before. Maybe that move wasn't as useless as she thought. The spike cut right through, stopping dead in the wall. It would disappear in a few seconds. The Mineta cocoon crashed into the ground. Served him right.

"Woah, that was awesome! How'd you do that?"

Crap. Hikari forgot about Ochako and Hagakure still standing at her side. The invisible girl sounded impressed, but it was hard to judge without having any face to refer to. Hikari quickly put it off, "Ehr, no, it's nothing special. I'm going back to bed. See you tomorrow."

Not waiting for a reply she turned on her heels and scrambled between the arguing boys, leaving it all behind in a hurry. She had no nerves for this right now.

Taking a sharp turn in the darkness above the stairs, she crashed right into someone. "Sorry-"

"Ah, s-sorry"

She lifted her chin, roughly recognizing the tips of Midoriya's green bush of hair. "If you're up 'cause of the scream, problem's solved."

He just stood there, rigid, not answering. Wasn't that the reason he was up? It was hard to tell without being able to see his face in the dark.

"Midoriya, are you okay?" How often was she going to ask people that tonight? He didn't answer, still didn't move. Something was up.

"Midoriya-kun?" Still no answer. "Another nightmare?"

"Ah, it's uhm, nothing, really, it's fine…" He took a step back. He didn't sound fine at all. Hikari instinctively grabbed hold of his arm. "It's okay if you're not fine."

The boy took in a breath, obviously wanting to say something, when an assortment of steps came their way. It sounded lively considering what time it was. Midoriya whimpered and Hikari set out to call his name again, when his hand took hold of her and he dragged her after him. Before she knew how to react they were in his room, door shut behind her back. He immediately let go of her.

"I, I d-did something terrible," he muttered, fingers running through his hair. He started walking in circles and Hikari had to catch up to him to hold him in place by the sleeve. "Midoriya-kun, please calm down! What's wrong?"

"I-I-" His eyes fixed on something on the ground. His arms fell limp to his sides. Hikari followed his gaze, finding scathered remnants of some transparent, thin plastic.

"I-I had a nightmare," he whispered, "and I was trying to break free, then I fell of my bed and there was the bottle I though I pushed it down but it somehow exploded and I remembered activating my quirk in the dream I probably did I smashed the bottle I-"

"Midoriya!"

"I'm dangerous! I lost control! What if it happens again? What if I destroy something valuable, what if I _hurt someone_?" He wasn't listening. He was rambling, voice low and shaky, terrified.

"Okay, easy, easy, breath! Don't lose yourself! Breathe, calm down and breath." She was not letting him get another panic attack. Hikari looked him deep in the eye, holding him in place by the shoulders. He panicked at first, started mumbling incomprehensive words again, but Hikari wouldn't let go until he listened, slowly inhaled, then exhaled. He fell back on his bed, hiding his face between his hands.

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can."

"What if it happens again?" He was close to tearing up. Hikari sat down at the edge of the mattress like she had done at the hospital. "Then you'll do better. You know what not to do now, so don't do it again."

Midoriya pushed himself up into a sitting position. Her advice didn't reassure him much. His head hung low. "You make it sound so easy. I don't know if I can."

"You just have to try, fight it. Maybe you'll trash another bottle in the process, but you'll get the hang of it eventually. Honestly, I can't speak from experience, I would probably kill myself before hurting others if I activated my quirk in my sleep," Hikari admitted, "but don't give up."

They sat there, not moving. Hikari studied the incredible amount of All Might merchandise visible in the light of the desk lamp. It had grown quiet outside, Iida had probably put an end to the ruckus.

"I'm going to tell Uraraka, Iida and Todoroki tomorrow," Midoriya informed her out of the blue.

"Sounds like a good idea," she agreed.

"Did it help you? Talking about it, I mean."

She hoped her wincing went unnoticed. Midoriya behind her shifted. He sounded reproachful as he asked, "You did talk about it, didn't you?"

That was going to be another confession. "Well, I told everything to the authorities after I run away." That was the truth.

"But you did tell Neko-san…?"

"The thing is," HIkari tried to justify herself, why she didn't know, "Neko, she, uh… After what happened at Seishin, she kinda put the pieces together, just like you."

"Wait, so you've never talked about it? To anyone?"

She did not understand how he managed to make her feel bad about it. It had been her choice. She felt the urge to leave this room, but that would be rude, so she set for a quick defence, "I showed you my scars. Told you what my brother had done."

"You gave me a vague idea. How are you even-"

She didn't let him finish. "We're not talking about me, we're talking about you-"

"We're talking about us. I think we're in a more similar situation than you want to admit."

Where was he mustering up all that energy to stand up to her after all that happened? Hikari rubbed her face with her palms. She couldn't raise her voice. There were still whispering, but the chances of someone of Midoriya's next door neighbours listening was still apparent as ever.

"You heroes always try to save the day, don't you?" She set out to explain herself. "I'm not like you. They are your friends, people who care about you. If you tell them what happened, they'll be there for you. They would never wish you any ill. I can't do that, I'm not one of them. They don't know me. If I told them now, they'd be suspicious, they would never trust me. But if I wait and they find out on their own, and they will eventually, they'll believe I used them and did nothing but lie-"

"You underestimate our class. You underestimate the good in people," Midoriya stated as a matter of factly. "You've closed yourself off, but I believe you've grown on them. They might be wary at first, I can see that, but they will come around. I know they will, I believe in it."

Hikari couldn't answer to that. Her head screamed no, but she had to admit that she didn't know them enough to jump to conclusions. She shifted, her shoulder came into touch with his, but she didn't move. Neither did he. The warmth was comforting, in a way.

"We're both pretty screwed up, aren't we?" Midoriya asked in a way that set an end to it.

"That's A plus parenting for you."

"Hikari-chan," Tsuyu addressed her at the table, "are you always wearing long sleeves to hide your scars?"

Hikari almost choked on her cereal. She knew Tsuyu was blunt. She also knew her classmate was asking out of curiosity, not to make her feel uncomfortable. But how did she even know? It took the purple haired girl half a minute to calm down from her coughing fit. She hoped it didn't attract anyone's attention.

"Ochako-chan told me about them," Tsuyu explained, an index finger on her chin, "you don't have to do that, you know? A lot of us have scars, I don't think anyone thinks it's gross or anything."

That was probably the sweetest thing anyone had ever said about it. Taken aback, Hikari fumbled with the hems of her sleeves. She threw a glance at the empty chair Ochako usually sat in, but the quirky girl had gone back to her room to change. "I just… People usually don't react very well."

Tsuyu nodded understandingly. "I can imagine. But it's different here. After yesterday, we all know how Midoriya looks and Todoroki is one of the most fancied boys on the campus, a simple scar doesn't taint his handsome features."

Tsuyu wasn't wrong. Hikari never looked at Todoroki's face and thought his scar to be hideous, she simply accepted it as a part of him. Could the others really be thinking that way as well? In front of her inner eye she still saw the grossed out reactions of her former classmates at Seishin. She had been called hideous and a freak until she started covering up as much of her body as possible. She had even be accused of looking like a villain thanks to them and her _resting bitchface,_ as Neko called it.

But things had changed, hadn't they? Everyone in 1-A was nice to her, nicer than she deserved and it didn't seem fake. Maybe it was time to return the favour.

"Thanks, Tsuyu. I'll think about it."

"That's good to hear! Please don't think too much about it, as your friends I'm sure everyone will be nice." The frog girl smiled so sweetly that Hikari almost dropped her spoon. Did they really consider her to be a friend? Even though she avoided them and refused telling them anything about her past?

"You still haven't changed your mind about today?" Tsuyu wanted to know. "Kyouka-chan was happy to show you her music yesterday."

Always right in the feels. Hikari wondered if Tsuyu knew about her talent to get under people's skin or not. The frog girl would surely make a great hero in a few years. "Thanks, really, I'm flattered, but I can't."

"Still busy catching up?"

"I can't leave the campus." Hikari didn't know what came over her. Her lips moved before she could think. Maybe she was fed up with the lies. Maybe she didn't want to go on like before. Maybe it was the way her class treated her despite her trying to avoid them. Ever since she woke up in the hospital after Onderon, she felt… Different. She didn't want to feel alone and left behind anymore, she wanted to be more than just a burden to people Was it what she had seen? Was it what happened to Divination? She couldn't say.

"Kero? What do you mean you can't leave?"

Time to fidget some more with the already baggy hems of her sleeves. She desperately needed new clothes. "It's complicated," she started, not really knowing where to go, "but I'm not allowed to leave the campus at the moment." She was sweating more than usually.

Tsuyu put down her orange juice. "Why didn't you say so? We would have been more considerate! I'm sorry if we made you feel uncomfortable all this time."

"It's f-fine!" Hikari brushed it off. "I just didn't quite know how to tell you." _Without anyone asking questions_. Unexpectantly, a large hand appeared on her arm.

"I don't know what you and Midoriya saw in Onderon, but everyone can tell you're having a hard time dealing with the aftermath. If there's anything we can to, don't hesitate to tell."

So, that was what they had been thinking? Was she acting that different since Onderon?

"Thanks," Hikari replied politely, "I will."

Tsuyu flashed her another smile, then picked up her orange juice. HIkari dug into her bowl of cereal, eyeing her washed out sleeves.

"Actually, there's something you could do, if it's not too much trouble."


	21. revelation

**Chapter 21: Revelation**

Amatsuki Nekoya, Neko to everyone, really hated the villain Neo Kumo. Before he appeared, her life had been good. At least taking into consideration how she had been born without a super power in a world full of quirk-elitism, where her only weapon were her wits. Blessed with good looks, people often disregarded the fact that she actually was borderline genius. A little crazy, but those two always came hand in hand, didn't they?

She had made it into Seishin Academy. Japan's most elite anti-quirk, or _quirkless-supporting_ as they called it, middle and high school. Inside the walls of this insular institution, she had built her own little empire. Teachers, students, school staff, they all were at her mercy.

Because **Knowledge is power**. And she had all the talents needed to accumulate knowledge no one wanted her to have. And so, she grew powerful over the years. At least until _he_ came and destroyed everything she had built.

He took away her best, her _only_ true friend. It was his fault that they found out about Neko's operations, it was his fault that she was almost kicked out of Seishin. Being under tight surveillance not only of the school administration but also the freaking authorities themselves made it so much harder to continue her business. But there was a tiny bit of benefit coming from all this: the more difficult it got, the better she became at it. The moment she would graduate would be the moment a new mastermind entered the scene.

Because she wasn't just good at the things she did. She enjoyed those things, she _lived_ for them. Hikari once remarked that her behaviour could be seen as villainous and become problematic in the future, especially after leaving Seishin, but Neko only shrugged it off. Hikari never brought it up again. Because whatever her friend said, nothing could stop Neko. She was simply born for this business.

The quirkless girl didn't bother to knock before entering Yotsune's room, the boy was expecting her anyway. His room was dark and messy as always. The bright light of the screen reflected on his glasses as he waved her towards him. Neko complied but kept her distance, well aware of the boy's perverted nature.

"You should listen to this." No formalities were exchanged. After Hikari's leave, he was the closest ally Neko had, the only one she could trust in some ways. And his skills were pretty useful at that.

Neko sat on the second chair she had ordered him to put up since their meetings became more frequent. She put in the second pair of headphones the boy held up and watched him digging out a file deep in the vast ocean of folders. It was an audio recording. After throwing her one last glance, Yotsune clicked the play button.

" _... thinking?!"_ the distressed voice of Seishin's principal spoke. Papers rustled, a drawer was opened. The recording had to be from her office. Neko was impressed by her ally's ability to get almost anything she asked for.

" _Principal, please…_ " Neko didn't know the man the voice belonged to.

" _Going out in the open like that?! He didn't even bother to inform me!"_

" _Princip-"_

" _You don't seem to grasp the severity of this incident,"_ the principal stressed. A loud thud indicated that she hammered her fist on the table.

" _I knew I shouldn't have trusted him. Our stock is almost exhausted, we can't continue our experiments like that. Everything will be for naught if we don't get more supplies soon."_

" _Principal,"_ the man tried to get her attention, _"I'm sure we'll find a solution. He has given us the name of the supplier, maybe we can-"_

" _Are you suggesting we initiate contact with the Yakuza ourselves?! Are you MAD?"_

" _We don't have a choice! As you said, our stock will last us for another two weeks or so, until then-"_

The recording broke off. Neko and Yotsune exchanged a glooming look.

"Is there more?"

"Sadly, no," Yotsune explained, "I got this when I was bored during English, I didn't expect I would actually manage to hack into her system."

"But you can do it again?"

The boy bared his teeth in a creepy grin. "You bet."

"Then what are you waiting for? I'm gonna see what I can get out of some people." Neko ripped the headphones from her ears and stomped towards the door.

"Don't forget my crisps!" The boy called after her as she exited.

It was the third time someone had mentioned those experiments.

* * *

Last night had been awful, just like the night before. And the night before that night. Izuku sighed. He had drifted in and out of sleep for hours until he decided to let out his frustration by jogging around the campus at five in the morning. At least he got to see another beautiful sunrise. As the others got up, he avoided going near the common area. Not that he was hungry anyway. His nervousness peaked whenever he remembered what day it was: The day he would tell his closest friends about Dragon. He still didn't know where to start. Time flew by as he tried to distract himself by reading Iida's notes on the classes he missed yesterday.

A knock on almost caused him to fall out of his chair. "Y-yes?"

"Midoriya? Are you feeling alright?"

Shit. They were worrying. Izuku stumbled to the door and tore it open. "Yeah, sorry, I was looking at your notes. What's up, Iida-kun?"

For the split of a second, Iida peered over the freckled boy's shoulder into the room before adjusting his glasses. Then he announced, "The others brought snacks from their trip to the city, we're having a movie marathon tonight! They're trying to choose which ones to watch and we wanted you to join us."

A movie night? That sounded ordinary. He could use ordinary right now. "Sure! I'm coming."

Izuku quickly turned around to turn off his desk lamp before following his friend downstairs.

It was horribly loud in the common area. Izuku winced. Ever since his sleep schedule ceased to exist, he grew sensible to noise. Trying to play it down he put on his best fake smile. Yaoyorozu and Jirou unpacked grocery bags in the kitchen area, Ojiro and Tokoyami stood in the middle of the room focusing on the description on one of the DVDs. Most of the others sat on the couches, vividly discussing. Ashido held up some kind of musical or dance movie while loudly explaining what its plot. Only a few of their classmates were missing the scene.

Despite the uneasiness tingling in his belly, Izuku joined them with Iida. In his clumsiness, the future symbol of peace stumbled over a leg being widely extended from the closest couch. Immediately, red irises bore into his soul.

"Watch out where the fuck you're going, nerd!" Izuku expected more but to his surprise Bakugou just turned away. He had been acting different towards Izuku lately. Was it thanks to All Might exposing his secret or had it started after Onderon? It was hard to say.

Izuku and Iida squeezed themselves on the couch beside Uraraka and Asui. Uraraka was arguing with Ashido whether her musical movie was good or complete trash. Their loud voices mixed with the news broadcast on the TV in the background, somewhere a phone rang, then Iida proceeded to scold Mineta for whatever he had intended to do - and it grew too much. Izuku closed his eyes and tried to focus. He tried to block out the noise, the yelling, the-

A hand on his shoulder almost made him jump.

"Midoriya."

Izuku quickly tried to get his panicked expression under control. "To-todoroki-kun! W-what i-is it?"

"Do you have a minute?" A strange request from the dual-quirk wielder. Izuku nodded, not trusting his voice. He got up and followed Todoroki to the back of the room, where it was much quieter.

"You don't have to be here if you don't feel like it." Blunt as usual. Two differently coloured eyes bore into him, seeing right through his lazy disguise. Izuku's face crumpled.

"I… It's not that I don't want to, i-it's just…"

"Midoriya," Todoroki started again, "you don't look well. Maybe you should rather rest."

"Rest? Me? Sure. Haven't tried that one yet." He regretted it as soon as the words left his lips. Izuku immediately slapped a hand in front of his mouth, eyes wide, not believing what he just said. Todoroki looked equally startled. He had probably never heard Izuku giving such an impulsive, almost aggressive and sarcastic reply. Heck, Izuku himself wasn't sure if he had ever said anything the like out loud.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be." After the initial shock disappeared, Todoroki returned to his usual, stoic self. "Iida and Uraraka are here as well. If you want, you can tell us now. Whatever it is that makes you feel that way, I don't think you should keep it to yourself any longer." It was a well-intentioned advice, yet all Izuku heard was _you're acting weird._ He gulped.

"I-I..."

"Oh my god it's _him_!" Whatever the freckled teen was going to say - he wasn't sure himself - it drowned in a wave of appalled outbursts. All attention was drawn to the TV screen in front of the seating accommodation, someone turned the volume up. Izuku and Todoroki exchanged one last glance before approaching the small crowd forming there. The moment they came to a halt, Izuku wished he hadn't come. Because, as Kaminari had yelled, it was _him_.

 _Dragon_.

Unmistakably. The short but unruly raven hair, the sharp handsome features. The a tad too big looking eyes. He stood on top of a building, everything around him shrouded in darkness. It took Izuku exactly half a second to recognize the manifesto from Onderon. But why? Why were they showing it? Why here, why now?!

Izuku's breaths grew quick and shallow as the man's words sunk in. His fingers clawed to the backrest of the couch, needing the support so he wouldn't fall over.

"Midoriya…?" sounded Iida's voice, full of worry. Izuku couldn't look up to his friend, eyes fixed on the back of his hands, ears sucking in the venom dripping words of his father.

"Midoriya-kun? A-are you alright?" He didn't even register who the voice belonged to. Sweat began to run down his temples. He knew he was breathing, but it felt like he was suffocating.

"Midoriya!" Multiple voices screamed. Then, Iida once again, instructed, "Turn off the TV!"

"NO!" It sounded alien to Izuku. He didn't think he was still able to speak. "Please… I… I need to see this." Black dots danced around his vision. But he only saw one thing: Dragon.

Heavy, fast steps could be heard from the outside. The door burst open. Both Aizawa-sensei and All Might stumbled in.

Dragon disappeared. The TV cut back to the news reporter.

It felt like all life was drained from his body. Izuku's legs gave in. Both his teachers were at his sides in an instant, holding him up. The boy couldn't hold back his tears anymore. They tried to talk to him, comfort him. He felt All Might's bony hand carefully petting his back, a little awkwardly. He felt the stares of his classmates. But whatever was happening to his body, it didn't stop. He gasped for air between his sobs. His arm burned, his back, his whole side, every spot dragon's flames had touched. They burned, as if freshly inflicted.

Then, something cold touched. He felt the cool soaking his clothes, alleviating some of the pain.

"...going to be fine, my boy. He can't hurt you here." All Might. Bit by bit, the blocked voices came through.

"Midoriya, I need you to calm down. Take a deep breath." Aizawa-sensei. They were here, all here. For him. Slowly, the pain began to dissipate. Izuku tried to wipe his tears away. He just had had another panic attack. In front of all his friends.

"Good, that's it. It's going to be fine, young Midoriya." He looked up at All Might. His mentor was smiling at him, eyes full of worry. In front of him, Uraraka fell on her knees, equally as much tears in her own eyes. "Deku-kun!"

The whole class was jolted awake by her action. They all cried his name full of concern. Iida came down beside Uraraka. Todoroki was already crouching in-between Aizawa-sensei and All Might, cooling Izuku's burns with his quirk. Izuku turned to him, forming a _quick thank you_ with his lips. His voice didn't obey. Todoroki got his message though and nodded in return. Taking a few deep breaths under Aizawa-sensei's direction finally calmed his inner turmoil. He was suddenly tired. He felt empty. He turned to a state of apathy.

Aizawa turned to the class. "Iida, Todoroki, please help Midoriya get cleaned up. All Might and I are going to have a word."

The two called students took Izuku by the arms and helped him on his shaky legs. They led him down the hall to the baths.

The class was silent. Most of them sat at the tables, some slouching on the couch. No one dared to say a word. Uraraka was still wiping away a few stray tears while Tsuyu held her hand, petting her head.

"Okay, I have enough of that depressed mood. What the hell just happened?" Ashido lifted her arms in a defeated gesture. She looked around the room, finding only thoughtful and clueless expressions. She frowned at Bakugou.

"Who the hell you looking at, Pinkie? The hell I know. It's not like that shithead would talk to me about anything."

"But you've known him for a long time!"

"It's not like he's ever done that before if that's what you wanna know! I don't fucking know what's up with that shitty nerd lately." He frowned. He always frowned, but this time it seemed less out of anger, more out of something no one could identify.

Tsuyu spoke up next, "Bakugou is not wrong though, kero. Midoriya has been acting off, lately."

"I admit, I too am quite worried," Shouji threw in. Aoyama agreed, "Me too. Pauvre garçon."

"Don't pressure him. He will come to us when the time is right," Tokoyami reminded his friends with JIrou backing him up. "He sure has his reasons not to tell us."

Silence returned. An unsettling mood set over them. Finally, Yaoyorozu broke it once more, "Hikari… You don't happen to know something?"

Startled, the girl by the window turned to the rest of the class, all eyes fixed on her. She had joined them only moments before the recording aired.

"Midoriya seemed to calm down after you told Todoroki to cool his burns."

For a moment, her expression was blank. Then she avoided their gazes by fixing her eyes on the floor. "It's... Not my place to tell."

Obviously, the class wouldn't leave it at that. Asui, with her amazing reception, stated, "Something did happen in Onderon, didn't it? Something regarding this villain on TV, Dragon."

"I really can't-"

"It's fine." They all turned to find Midoriya, flanked by Iida and Todoroki, standing by the door. Uraraka immediately jumped to her feet, dashed towards her friend and squeezed his hand.

"Deku-kun!"

"I… This…" He was clearly having trouble finding the right words. He closed his eyes, taking a few shaky breaths. "I should have told you a long time ago, b-but I didn't k-know how…"

"Take your time, you don't have to force yourself if you're not ready!" Iida sympathetically reminded him. Izuku gave his friend the tiniest remnant of a smile. "Thanks, Iida-kun, but I really need to do this."

He turned back to the rest of his class. "The villain you just saw on TV, Dragon, he… He… He is my father."

They all stared at him in disbelief.

"Woah, Midoriya, that's nothing to jok-" Jirou quickly elbowed Kaminari in the ribs, making him stop.

"I-I… I just," Izuku stuttered, "I didn't know! W-we always though h-he was abroad, w-working o-overseas, he s-s-sent money each month, I-I didn't even remember him…" Fresh tears were streaming down his face. "And suddenly he was there, r-responsible for all this… For so much pain and death-"

"Midoriya," Todoroki reminded everyone of his presence, "did he… Did he do this to you?"

Midoriya froze. Of course, some of them would puzzle everything together. They were smart.

"I… I attacked him. He, he defended himself."

"But he burned you."

"He… Yes, he did."

There was silence. Again. The two boys looked at each other. Todoroki's eyes full of anger, Midoriya's full of terror as if he just realized the graveness of the incident. The air was thick. The tension electrifying. The first sound, almost making their ears bleed, was a chair being pushed back. They all turned to Satou who clapped in his hands. "I made cupcakes for everyone this morning! Who wants one?"

It was almost hilarious. His feeble attempt to loosen the mood. Many awkwardly glanced between his smile and Midoriya's still blank expression, until Uraraka lifted her hand. "Yes, that's a great idea, right, Deku-kun?"

Ripped from his thoughts, the boy blinked, then feigned a smile. "Uh, yes, that's… That's great…"

A collective sigh went through the rows. Some got up, the first awkward conversations were started. Satou rushed into the kitchen, taking Shouji and Aoyama with him to help get the cupcakes. Yaoyorozu promised to make tea. Kouda suddenly appeared in front of Izuku, placing a small rabbit in his arms.

"They always help me to calm down when I'm anxious," he admitted, voice so low they barely understood him. Midoriya's smile grew a little less fake. "Th-thank you, Kouda-kun."

It truly was… Different from how Izuku had imagined the big reveal. They ate cupcakes, talked about ordinary things. His friends were trying their best to distract him from any dark thoughts. It would take them a while to overcome the shock and realize the severity of the situation, though.

Izuku played with the rabbit for quite a while until Mineta decided to scoop it up and almost tossed it into the air, so the poor, scared to death animal peed all over him. Many of them tried to hold back, but half the class broke out in laughter. It was his punishment for trying to peek into Hagakure's room that morning.

Izuku was grateful. He couldn't imagine any other place he wanted to be more. None of his friends were upset with him for being the son of a villain. If anything, they tried to cheer him up, directing his thoughts somewhere else.

For a brief moment, his eyes locked with Hikari. She flashed him a proud smile that warmed his heart. Kouda brought the rabbit back to his room, the mood was rather elevated that evening. No one besides Kirishima noticed the thoughtful stares Bakugou directed towards Izuku every other minute.

Up in his room, a message flashed up on Izuku's phone.


	22. father figure

**Chapter 22: father figure**

"Alright, Class dismissed," Aizawa sat back down, "Shikogane, a minute."

The girl in question flinched. Had she done something wrong? She hadn't fallen asleep, did she? Ignoring a few stares of her classmates, Hikari went up to her teacher's desk. She clutched the strap of her bag nervously.

"It's about the changes to your costume," Aizawa-sensei announced, not waiting for the students to clear the classroom. Hikari sighed in relief.

"Your requests have been mostly approved and I was told the changes were already made. Go get it before training. I want to see whether it was worth it." That was good. She had submitted a request with specifications and sketches the week after returning to U.A. More protection, less bare skin.

"Yes, sensei," she answered, a little excited to see what they had come up with.

"Good, you're free to go."

She bowed slightly before exiting the now empty classroom. To her surprise, she found Momo and Kyouka still standing in the hallway. The taller girl looked a little worried as she wanted to know, "Is everything alright?"

"Yes," Hikari deflected immediately, "it was just about a submission I made at the support department."

Momo's expression softened. She turned towards Kyouka who urged them, "We should go, or we'll be late."

Hikari followed her classmates down the hallway. She couldn't believe they had waited for her. _For her_.

* * *

Izuku cracked his knuckles in anticipation. Ever since he told his friends, he felt like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Obviously, it didn't help with the nightmares and the dread of having another panic attack, but he could talk freely to his friends about it now. Not that he actually did, it still felt too personal to him, but they understood. They would try to keep him busy, never mentioning Onderon or Dragon, they would hover at his side and let him be if he wasn't in the mood to talk. Always there but never pushing. On another note, his friendship with Hikari became rocky. She kept distancing herself from him and he didn't understand why. Hadn't she been the one urging him to tell his friends in the first place?

Izuku shook his head. He had other things to worry about. Uraraka was babbling at his side. He listened to her, when a tall, blonde figure caught his eye. All Might waved from around the corner, gesturing Izuku to follow him. The boy quickly excused himself and left his friends by the stairs.

"Young Midoriya, I'm sorry to single you out like that," the teacher and ex-hero apologized.

"I-it's no problem, really! Is something wrong?"

"Ah- No." All Might hesitated. Something was up. "There's just something I would like to hear your thoughts on."

Izuku took a seat at his usual spot. He wondered if any other students had been called by his mentor before or if it was just him sitting here every few weeks. All Might passed him and closed one of the windows. It was grey and windy outside, rain dreading to fall.

"Can I offer you something to drink? Don't worry, it won't take long."

Izuku declined, "Thank you, but it's fine."

All Might nodded, coming down on the other side of the low table. There was a short silence and Izuku had no idea what to expect. Finally, the previous Symbol of Piece sighed and began, "I'm not really supposed to talk about this, but I want to know how you feel about it. Another career experience will be up soon, and the school staff is debating whether to let you take part in it or not."

Another internship. Izuku clawed at his pants, memories flooding his brain. Stain, Neo-Kumo, Dragon. He hadn't had much luck with these experiences so far. Hosu, Seishin, Onderon, they all ended in a fight and a devastating aftermath.

"This new internship differs from the previous ones," All Might went on, "it will be long term. Some might even intern at the same agency for the rest of their time at U.A."

Izuku lifted his chin to meet the teacher's eyes. The man's look was contemplating. He explained, "With your provisional licences, you're authorized to act but you also have to bear the consequences of your actions. The last internship was more of a trial to see if you'd react different than during your first. I'm happy to see this doesn't seem to be the case with most."

Izuku wondered how the others dealt with their experiences. He wondered how he'd feel right now, if everything in Onderon had went according to plan, if Dragon hadn't shown up. He definitely wouldn't be sitting here right now.

"I am a little worried," All Might admitted, "but Dragon hasn't made any attempts to threaten you or your mother. He hasn't done anything since Onderon, he disappeared without a trace. I'm sure he's planning something big. But there's nothing for us to do but wait and see. So, I'd like to know how you see things, young Midoriya. I don't want you to be thrown in at the deep end."

The teenage boy bit his lip. Did he want to participate? Yes- Yes and no. He didn't want to stand by and watch his classmates make progress while being cooped up I here. But another part of him was afraid. What if there were more tragedies happening? What if he ended up endangering everyone at the agency? Too many what ifs.

"I… I don't know. I don't know what to think about it," he confessed. All Might nodded understandingly.

"Of course, I didn't call you here to force you to make a decision. I just wanted to let you know what might await you."

"I-I see. Thank you, All Might."

There were definitely too many things going on. Too many things to worry about. Izuku sharply turned around the corner, running straight into another student. He did not expect anyone to still be around, everyone else had to be back at the dorms by now. Izuku stumbled a few steps back, hectically stuttering an apology, "S-sorry! I didn't s-see you!"

"It's uhm, fine, Midoriya."

Izuku blinked at his classmate. "H-Hikari! What are you doing here?"

The girl took a step back, folding her hands behind her back. "I went by the support department to get my new suit. What about you?"

Only now, he realized that she was wearing her costume, but not the one from Onderon. This one was a purple two-piece ensemble with pants that didn't differ much from her old suit, a sleeveless top with a hood and a golden symbol on the chest. She also wore protectors on her knees and elbows, black as her gloves and boots. The cut-outs were smaller than before and seemed to be placed more precisely, showing that she indeed had made progress with the usage of her quirk.

"Do you like it?"

Oh, shoot, he had been staring. "Ah, uhm, oh yes! It looks… Effective."

 _Effective_ , really? Was that all his brain came up with? To his surprise Hikari chuckled and reached for the black leather jacket she had dropped earlier. It was vaguely familiar. Then, she showed him a pair of yellow tinted protective glasses. "They also came up with this one. They hide my eye colour, so people won't see whether my quirk is activated or not."

"That's really smart!" He was impressed. The girl in front of him looked so different than the one he knew before Onderon. Izuku's eyes travelled back to the leather jacket. Hikari noticed the movement and started defending herself, "I-it's not just for the aesthetics! I mean, a little, maybe, but it's also symbolic. A reminder. So, I always remember what I'm fighting for, and how I got where I am now." She didn't have to say it. The resemblance to the one Divination had worn was uncanny.

"So," the girl said, awkwardly rocking on her feet, "I guess I have to go now, I don't want Aizawa-sensei to get mad."

Of course, it made sense, that's why she was still around. Izuku nodded. "Yeah, I wouldn't want that either."

Hikari pointed to the stairs. "You going down as well?"

They went down in silence. Izuku really did want to ask her why she started avoiding him, but where should he start? He wasn't good at starting conversations, he wasn't good at talking in general. He always ended up stammering or muttering to himself. He startled when she suddenly initiated, "So, what are you still doing here?"

"I, uh, All Might wanted to ask something." In the corner of his eye he saw an undefinable expression flitting over her face.

"Oh, I see. I'm glad, then."

"Eh?" He had no idea what she was talking about.

"I'm glad," the girl repeated, "that you have someone like him. You both have strength augmenting quirks, so I see how he can help you. He also cares a lot about you."

Izuku was taken aback. He had hoped, after developing his shoot style, the rumours about him and his mentor's quirk being so similar would cease. Seems he was wrong. "I-is that so?"

"You should have seen him at the hospital. He didn't let up until I told him what happened. And he was quick to accept the truth without questioning it. He really believes in you."

Izuku didn't know what to say to that. He tried to stay professional with his mentor while the others were around. Was it still that obvious?

"Maybe that's just what you need," she mused, "he seems nice. I think he makes a great father figure."

Izuku froze. He stared at his friend, unknown emotions building in his chest. Something she said struck him like lightning.

"It's good you have people to talk to now, people that are closer to you than me. Anyway, I gotta go to the gym now. See you later, Midoriya-kun."

Izuku hadn't realized they arrived outside. He silently waved after his classmate and watched her run off.

All Might. _A great father figure_. He gaped, realisation dawning on him. All Might was his father figure. He had never had a father. He never knew how it was to have a father. The way he felt towards his mentor was more than just a student-teacher relationship. All Might was family.

Izuku looked at the scarred skin covering his hand. Dragon had fathered him, but Dragon didn't mean _anything_ to him. All Might did.

* * *

Things were going… Smooth lately. Too smooth. Her experience told her that it was only a matter of minutes until something bad happened. Hikari slipped past her classmates doing homework in the common area and luckily found the kitchen abandoned. Her muscles felt extremely sore from her training with Aizawa-sensei just now. The teacher announced that she would be getting a new sparring partner soon, someone closer to her level. Which she appreciated, because both her butt and face hurt from slamming into the mat around twenty times within less than two hours. The pain did anything but push her self-esteem. She wondered if she had made any progress at all, she still didn't stand a chance against her homeroom teacher.

 _He's a pro, after all_ , she tried to reassure herself to no avail. Sighing, the girl put up the kettle and rummaged through a few cupboards. Where did Momo store the tea again? Hikari finally found the box sitting on the top shelf, far out of her reach. Why had the other girl to be that tall? Desperately, Hikari tried anyway. Her only other options were to either get a chair which would get her classmates' attention or ask one of them for help. Neither sounded very pleasant. Social interactions were hard and exhausting, and she didn't have any more social energy left to lose.

So, she chose to go for the last resort: Hikari extended her arm once more, sending a trail of particles from the back of her hand towards the box. She never knew her quirk could be useful in everyday life.

"Shikogane," Iida barked from the other side of the kitchen counter, "quirks should never be used light heartedly! If you need help you can always ask your peers for assistance!"

The particles disappeared instantly, dropping the box. Hikari barely caught it in time. Her back protested painfully at the sudden movement but at least her reflexes were getting better. She winced and turned to the boy, "Sorry…"

"Apology accepted. Well, I am glad to see you seem to have mastered control over your quirk!"

She blinked. "What?"

"I have heard that your extra classes were a result of you not having much control over your quirk. For you to be able to use it in such a trivial situation must mean you have overcome that disadvantage and made a lot of progress!" Was Iida complimenting her? Hikari wanted to protest but he had a point. She could use her quirk without putting any thought to it by now, at least as long as she stayed focused and had enough stamina left.

The class president continued, "If you like you can join us, we just started with today's homework!"

She should have just said no. Hikari found an empty seat beside Tooru. It was obvious that the invisible girl as well as Shouji and Kaminari were here to profit from Iida and Midoriya, given they both were in the top four of the class. Ochako was there as well, but she was close friends with the other two boys, so that didn't count. Iida was explaining a rather difficult problem Ectoplasm-sensei had presented them this morning to Shouji and Ochako, the others were either frowning at their books or writing into their notebooks. Mathematics weren't Hikari's strength either, but given U.A. focused more on heroics than math, the problems were so much easier than the ones she had to solve at Seishin. She just grabbed her pencil when someone vis-à-vis tried to get her attention, "Psst, Shikogane!"

She raised an eyebrow at Kaminari. "Yes?"

"That was your quirk back there, right?"

She had a bad feeling about this. "Uhm, yeah, why?"

"It looked really cool!" The boy exclaimed. "Can you show it again? I know we've asked before, but what can you do with it?"

Hikari wasn't prepared for that much excitement regarding her quirk. She gaped at the electric boy, not sure what to say.

"Yes, please!" Tooru piped up at her side. Wasn't anyone here taking their homework session seriously? Hikari peered over to Iida who was still very much preoccupied with his explanation. No help from that side.

"I, uhm," she statred, "I do a lot of things? It's very versatile. Like, I can shield myself, but I can also grab and hit stuff with it? I don't know, there's still so much I have to learn…"

"But can you show it again? Pleeeaase!" Tooru sang, most likely batting her invisible eyelashes or putting up a puppy face. Hikari peered at the class president once more before giving in, "Okay, but just for a sec. I don't want to get into trouble."

The other two nodded - at least she guessed Tooru did - so the girl let another thin trail raise from her forearm. Ochako two seats away suddenly gasped. "It looks really pretty! Can I touch it?"

Hikari was blown away by the wonder sparkling in her brown eyes. She wouldn't have imagined anyone reacting that positively to her quirk. In her eyes, it still meant pain and death, being so close to the one her mother and brother shared. Hesitant she answered, "Tha-thank you? And uhm, I'm not sure if that's a good ide-"

Something _touched_. The feeling was hard to explain, but she always knew when her particles came into touch with something. She almost jumped out of her chair, whirling around to find Kaminari squishing the trail in his hands.

"Kaminari-"

"Woah, it's really soft and warm! That feels so nice!"

It did what? No, this couldn't be. She remembered how her brother's quirk felt, she would never be able to forget it. Cold but burning, sharp, painful. This couldn't be, their quirk was so similar, it couldn't be…

Tooru and Ochako joined in. The latter just poked the golden trail before joining the electric boy, "He's right!" She petted it with both her hands. "Aww, I want a mattress out of this stuff!"

No, this couldn't be right. Or was it? She had never thought of touching her own quirk. It always seemed so clear to her what it had to feel like. She started blushing profusely.

"T-this is weird, I mean, I could stab the table with it, it can't be that soft-"

"Maybe you can adjust its viscosity?" Midoriya joined in, suddenly having his hero notebook in front of him. Wait, he had two full pages on her in there? But he did hade a point.

"I guess?"

"You just stated you could stab the table with it," he went on, "which doesn't only require your particles to be hard but also a lot of force. Does your body's strength directly translate to your quirk or does it amplify it?"

Hikari quickly threw an annoyed glance at Kaminari that made him shut up before he could even ask her to stab the table and proceeded to respond, "As far as I can tell, it does amplify it to a certain degree, but I don't know how much. I can lift pretty heavy things, but I can still somehow feel the weight, so I can definitely not lift a car or anything. At least not in my current state."

Midoriya nodded and started writing into his notebook. Hikari had no idea how to feel about it. She quickly let the trail of particles fade though, because Iida's gaze was on her again. She had the attention of everyone in the room by now. Both Ochako and Tooru _oh_ -ed in disappointment as the purposely warm and soft matter disappeared from their hands. Kaminari leaned back in his chair. "Man, that sound useful as hell! I want to see it in action! I mean, you would be at a disadvantage if someone got to your arms, but it sounds strong!"

"It's not only my arms. I can produce those particles from anywhere under my skin."

"No way! That's as if Shouji could replicate his arms from anywhere. Isn't that a little OP? Does that mean you could stab someone from your eyeballs?!"

Hikari frowned. "I- Why would I do that?! I- Theoretically, I think so?" not that she had ever considered it, "and no, I'm _not_ going to show you, I want to keep my eyes, thank you very much. I'm too tired to risk my eyesight."

She felt the exhaustion from training settling in. Her temper grew short, his weird questions made her feel uncomfortable. She would never stab anyone, from her eyeballs or anywhere else. She wasn't her family. To settle things she ended the conversation, "I might have learned how to control it, but it's far from perfect. It can still hurt me a lot if I'm not careful enough."

She picked up her pencil again, lowering her head to face the math book. Her quirk wasn't that interesting…

None of her classmates' questions rattled her as much as the next one

"Are your scars from your quirk?" It was Tooru, voice low but still heard by everyone. The invisible girl and Ochako had been the first, if not the only ones to notice them that night. Of course, she would ask sooner or later. Hikari didn't look up from her book.

"Some," she muttered, voice deprived of emotion, "can we please go back to homework now?"

* * *

It couldn't be. Neko's anger boiled inside, but she had to stay calm. This was big, so much bigger than she had initially thought. She couldn't do this on her own. She needed help. She needed someone she could trust.

The Seishin student slammed the door shut behind her back and reached for her phone.

 _Please pick up._

"Hey, Neko, what's up? You're early."

"I don't have much time," Neko whispered, expecting ears all around her, "can we meet? Please, just- just ask someone. It's important."

"Neko-"

"Tomomo's back. At Seishin. There's- I can talk about it via phone. I _need_ to see you."


	23. extra class

**Chapter 23: extra class**

"Thanks for coming." Principal Nedzu set down the steaming teacup. His usual smile was plastered on his face, the dark eyes impossible to read. All Might took a sip of his own hot brew.

"I reckon you have informed Midoriya-kun of our intentions?"

The hot liquid burned his tongue as he tried not to choke on the tea. A few bloody coughs escaped the previous Symbol of Peace. He had no reason to lie, being so blatantly seen through.

"Young Midoriya will have a hard time coming to a decision. If I may, I think we should take his opinion into consideration."

The mouse like creature chuckled. "Of course."

There was a silence All Might didn't know what to make of. It had been foolish of him to think he could hide anything from the principal.

"I do understand you want to keep your successor save," Nedzu continued, "but we also have to take into consideration that he's the perfect candidate to help your former sidekick with his investigations."

Another coughing fit rattled through All Might's body. He wiped the blood from his lips, turning pale. Nedzu couldn't be serious. There was no way Nighteye would accept the boy. Not after everything that had happened between them.

"Midoriya-kun has already been at Seishin Academy. He has experienced the atmosphere and the peculiar social norms there. His input is incredibly valuable to Sir Nighteye's investigations."

"If your choice depends on the boy having experienced Seishin, wouldn't it be better to send either young Yaoyorozu who is an excellent student, or even young Shikogane?" There was no way this would end well. All Might couldn't let it come to this. He wasn't sure what he was more afraid of; letting his student leave when his genocidal father was still on the loose, or having the boy interact with his former sidekick.

Principal Nedzu sipped on his tea. "I understand your concerns. But I cannot quite see Yaoyorozu bringing as much understanding as Midoriya, seeing how he himself had been quirkless. Regarding Shikogane, she neither has a provisional licence, nor the experience, and her own upbringing at Seishin might be more of a hindrance than help. Let's not forget the whole incident a few months ago was only a result of her presence."

"I-" All Might wanted to protest but he had nothing to contribute. The principal's arguments were solid as always. In the end, the ex-symbol of peace sighed.

"I'll see what I can do. But I will not force young Midoriya if he or his mother are against it."

"Of course," Nedzu still smiled, "none of us will."

* * *

The capture weapon grazed Hikari's cheek. It cut through her skin, drawing a red streak across her face. She had to focus. The girl jumped off the cliff, damping her fall by shooting out a wave of particles from the soles of her feet. She finished her landing with a roll and dove behind the closest pillar. Time to come up with a plan.

It would be easiest to deflect Aizawa-sensei's attacks with a shield, but that would make her unable to foresee his movements as well. If only she could sneak up somehow-

A figure appeared, grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around, pinning her face first to the pillar in front.

"Too slow," the teacher announced. "I told you to think, not to overthink. Standing around doing nothing while figuring out a plan is exactly that. Standing around, doing nothing."

As the teacher let go of her, the annoyed teen growled. He was right. She needed to be faster.

"One more time. Same goal as before. If you reach the other side of the gym, you win."

As if it was that easy. Hikari sprinted back to the starting line, weighting out her options. She lost count on how many times she had tried to get past him. Five, six, maybe seven? Either way, the constant use of her quirk made her feel famished. At least her new costume proved to be better than her old one. It was only the second day she was allowed to wear it and yet it felt like she had worn it all her life. The support department did an amazing job, she should thank them later. The padding on the joints lessened the pain of each fall, the added fabric made her feel less exposed.

"Ready? Start!" Aizawa-sensei barked from somewhere within the sports field that resembled an arena full of different obstacles. Hills, cliffs, pillars, tunnels, bridges, everything built in grey cement, and every day it was different. Cementoss-sensei had to put up with a lot.

Hikari snuck across the field, hiding in the closest tunnel. Technically, since she could feel everything her particles came in touch with, she would be able to locate Aizawa-sensei. The only problem was, her particles weren't exactly invisible. He would notice the glowing wave from afar. Additionally, it would only work if he was in a four seconds radius, which Hikari doubted.

On to the next option. Maybe she should avoid contact at all. If she managed to slip past him without him noticing and reached the finishing line, that counted as a win as well, didn't it? The girl tiptoed back to where she came from. She didn't dare to hope she was smart enough to outwit her homeroom teacher. The former Seishin student climbed up one of the cement hills, she crouched down and peeked over the edge on the other side. No sign of Aizawa-sensei. No moving shadows, no-

She threw herself on the ground, barely avoiding the capture weapon. Damn. How did he find her that fast? Aizawa-sensei was only a few meters away, sprinting towards her. When did he get up here? He jumped, his hand reached for her arm. Hikari pushed herself up and sidestepped, she tried to kick him in the shin but missed. An elbow bore into her side, knocking the air from her lungs. She sunk to the floor, the capture came awfully close. Without thinking, the girl shot particles with explosive force from her shoulders, catapulting herself away. She slipped past the teacher and scrambled to her feet, arm outstretched. A string of particles exploded from her arm. It shot towards one of the pillars in front, wrapping itself around it. Hikari jumped. Dangling from her created string she swung across the field and landed not all to gracefully on the floor. Ignoring all the new grazes she came to her feet again and put as much distance between her and Aizawa-sensei as possible. If only she was fast enough to reach the finishing line before she was in range of his capture weapon-

Something wrapped around her middle, then her arms and face. She was thrown on the ground, shackled by the capturing weapon. Another failure.

"You held out even shorter than last time, you didn't even think about deflecting my last approach."

Hikari gritted her teeth underneath the metal band. She was tired, hungry, annoyed, she hadn't made any progress the past few days. The knot in her chest grew tighter, it took all her will power to prevent her eyes from watering. She wasn't getting anywhere like this. She had made no progress over the past few days and it angered her. She hated it. She just wanted to curl up under a blanked and forget she existed.

The grip of the capture weapon loosened. Aizawa-sensei's eyes focused on something up ahead. "Oh, you're here."

Hikari gasped for air and lifted herself up. She followed her teacher's gaze to the entrance, where another figure stood. She hadn't noticed him coming in. Aizawa-sensei passed her and came to a halt at the other student's side. The boy was in his school uniform, standing almost as tall as the teacher. His hair was a purple mess, dark circles framed his eyes. With both hands in his pockets and his dead-looking stare he didn't seem impressed by what he had seen in the slightest.

"This is Shinsou Hitoshi from the general department," Aizawa introduced the boy, "he will be your new sparring partner. I believe you two can learn a lot from each other."

Hikari straightened her back in an attempt to regain some of her dignity. Being caught and scolded by her teacher wouldn't leave the best first impression. She walked up to the boy and held out a hand.

"Shikogane Hikari. Nice to meet you, I guess."

The boy looked at her hand, then closed his eyes. He didn't take it. "Whatever."

Well, that was awkward. As if he hadn't just witnessed the encounter, Aizawa ordered, "Both of you, change into your gym uniforms. Be back here in five."

The boy, Shinsou, didn't spare her one more glance as he moved to the changing rooms. This was going to be fun.

* * *

Hikari barely made it, sweat glistening on her front, the dry blood from the cut still on her cheek. Getting out of her hero costume took longer than expected. She kind of had had a feeling that changing in and out of costume would be part of her training as well.

Her homeroom teacher led the teens to a few mats he put up in the middle of the field. He wasted no time, "Both of you have received close combat training during the past few months. While I can see that you're making progress, it is always important to learn from different people. You don't know each other, you don't know what the other is capable of and willing to do, just like in a real fight. That's all. Into position. Whoever is on the floor more than five seconds loses, no quirks allowed."

There would be no sense in questioning his intentions. Shinsou glared at Hikari, antipathy written all over his face. Just what had she done to deserve that look? She got into position, standing steady on her feet. The boy did the same.

"Start!" Aizawa-sensei yelled. For a second neither moved, then they did in sync. Hikari dove to the left, a hand came down where she stood before. She managed to land a kick on his lower leg, but the boy hooked his foot with hers and dragged her with him. She lost her balance, regaining it just in time to avoid his other foot connecting with her tight. Hikari's fist missed its target and several hits rained down her left arm, sending a sharp pain through her body. It was hard enough to paralyze the limb for a few seconds. She jumped back, sliding into a half turn. Shinsou stumbled past her with his own momentum. The girl saw her chance and grabbed hold of his arm. She pressed her elbow into his spine, slowly forcing him to go down.

"What the fuck is your problem?" she muttered. She almost had him. Almost. Shinsou stopped resisting and sank down faster than she could react. The both slammed into the matt but were on their feet a second later, bringing distance between them. This felt so much different than any fight she had had with Aizawa-sensei. Not only because they were on a fairly equal level, it also felt personal. Shinsou wasn't just being an ass for the sake of it when he dismissed her attempt at shaking his hands.

Hikari panted heavily. She was already exhausted from her previous training. She wouldn't be able to hold up for much longer.

"Who told you to take a break?" Came Aizawa-sensei's comment from the side line. Hikari gritted her teeth. The students closed the distance, again moving in synch. She dove underneath the boy, holding herself up with her hands as she brought her leg up. Her foot met his chin, forcing him a few steps back. Using the momentum, she came upright and threw her fist at him in one swift motion. Shinsou avoided the attack and took hold of her waist, tearing her from her feet. As he tried to throw her to the floor Hikari allowed him to push her down, bringing up her feet behind his back. Somehow, the girl managed to wrap her leg around his torso, bringing him down with her.

The impact knocked the breath out of her lungs. She was definitely nearing complete exhaustion. Shinsou coughed at her side. He spit between gasps, "I, I can't stand... Pe-people like you."

Hikari pushed herself up, vision only slowly returning. Aizawa's voice found its way to her.

"...Three, four…"

Both of them were up again. Neither wanted to lose. For the third time, they charged. Hikari went for his middle, but Shinsou got hold of her wrist. He twisted it, forcing her to turn away from him. She supressed a pained cry.

"Have you any idea how hard I've worked?"

No, she didn't. She had no idea what he was talking about. Hikari threw herself back, knocking Shinsou away. Free, she stumbled and avoided being grabbed again. She rammed her knee in his tight. He blocked the approach with his hands.

"All this time, I've been working towards one goal," he hissed, missing her head by a few millimetres. "And then, there's you."

His palm connected with Hikari's front, sending her back. "I've gone through every trial, I've trained day and night, and yet I still need to prove myself, while you…" He charged again. Hikari threw herself to the ground and slipped through his legs, coming up behind him. Her kick missed his torso but still connected hard enough with his forearm to bruise. Shinsou almost managed to grab her but slipped off the fabric of her pants.

"You just get into the hero course by doing nothing!"

Oh. That's why he was so angry. His palm crashed into her face, painfully squishing her nose, but she was able to get hold of his scalp in return. Ripping at his hair the boy let go of her face with a scream but managed to grab her by the collar. They stumbled, entangled with each other until had to let go if they didn't want to fall. Hikari was tired, Shinsou was fast. His forearm suddenly pressed against her neck, bringing her down without resistance. Hikari was on the floor, unable to breath.

"One… Two…"

"You don't deserve to be in heroics."

He was right. He was right about everything. Desperation crawled through Hikari's body. She felt helpless. Suddenly, she was a child again, being pressed to the dirty floor of an abandoned warehouse by her brother, shards of glass embedding themselves into her back, arms and legs.

"... Three… Four…"

With force she didn't know she had left, she slammed her head against Shinsou's. Startled, the boy leaned back with a yelp. Hikari didn't lose a thought and clawed at his arm.

"Do you think I don't know that?! Do you think I-" Tears stung in her eyes. She tried to lift her arm for another hit but was too exhausted. Aizawa's capture weapon slung itself around her arm and forced it back down.

"I told you two to spar, not to beat each other up." His voice was sharp, his words cutting through the air like knives. Hikari blinked, finally realizing what they had been doing. Shinsou, kneeling at her side, was held back by the metal band like her. Bruises were already forming all over his arms and on his face, a big one on his neck. He was bleeding right beneath his left eyebrow. Hikari had a feeling she looked even worse.

"I've seen enough. Both of you, go see Recovery Girl. There will be no training tomorrow. I hope you will use your free time to reflect on what just happened. Dismissed."

* * *

She had grown careless. Of course, she couldn't expect anyone to be as nice as the people in 1-A. Hikari limped a few steps behind Shinsou, walking by him but not willing to walk _with_ him to Recovery Girl. The boy shuffled in front, completely ignoring her presence. The girl huffed, unable to hold back anymore. "You're right. I don't deserve to be here."

He stopped, still not looking back. "And do you think I'll pity you if you say that?"

"No," she passed him, taking the lead, "who knows, maybe you'll take my place sooner than you expect." She didn't elaborate. She couldn't have anyone knowing about _that_.

* * *

(That night, Aizawa would be debating whether setting up these two had been a good idea.)

* * *

By the time Hikari woke, it was already dark outside. Her white sheets smelled fresh and foreign… Wait, her sheets weren't white. Within the blink of an eye she was up, eyes only slowly adjusting to the brightness of the room. She was still in the hospital ward.

"You're finally up." Recovery girl sat at her desk, most likely finishing her reports. Hikari looked around. "What time is it? How long have I been here? Where's…?"

"I only healed the worst of your bruises. Your stamina was so low you immediately fell asleep. That was roughly three hours ago," the school nurse explained, "if you're looking for Shinsou, he left as soon as I was done with him."

What else. Their business still unsolved, but Aizawa-sensei gave them time to think about the whole incident.

"I don't know what's gotten into the two of you, but I don't want to see you doing that to each other ever again, understood? I've told the boy the same."

Hikari gulped. She nodded hectically, not willing to upset the heroine any more.

"And I thought once you've got that quirk of yours under control, you wouldn't end up here anymore. You're worse than Midoriya." That definitely wasn't a compliment.

* * *

Hikari arrived at the dorm completely famished. As soon as she entered, she was overrun by her classmates asking what happened to her face. She had no mirror but judging by their reactions, she did look awful. She quickly waved it off as a training accident, not caring that no one seemed to buy it. She gulped down the leftover food from dinner and went straight to her room, cramming through her bag to get her phone. At least Aizawa-sensei had been decent enough to bring back her bag and clothes. She was still in her gym uniform and in desperate need of a shower, but this came first.

Eight missed calls. Neko had to be worried. Hikari called, her friend picked up at the first ring, "GIRL, WHAT THE HELL, DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED I WAS? YOU'VE NEVER MISSED A CALL!"

"S-sorry," the U.A. student apologized, "I had a little training accident and was like, knocked out for a few hours."

"How the fuck are you getting knocked out for a few hours while training?! What the hell are they doing at that shitty hero school?!"

"Woah, calm down." Hikari sat on the floor, leaning her back against the bed. "Anyway, I didn't have time to look further into it. But I can already say, I'm not getting out that front gate. There are cameras everywhere and it's guarded."

There was a pause. Then, Neko urged, "Fine. Any other possibilities?"

"The east end is well-hedged by the forest. If I manage to get there unseen…"

"I'll get Yotsune to work on it."

"… and I manage to get past the heroes guarding, I could slip out. Getting back in is a whole other story though."

Neko sighed at the other end of the line. "I can meet you at the edge of the forest. And about getting back in, Yotsune and I will organize a distraction. We'll still need some time, but I think we can do it. I'll let you know once we've got something."

Hikari was screwed, so screwed. There was no way she could slip out of U.A. and back in unseen. She didn't count on it, and the more she thought about it, the less she cared.

Shinsou was right. She didn't deserve to be in the hero department. She couldn't even win against a boy from gen ed. She didn't deserve the kindness of the other students. As soon as they found out where she came from, what her family had done, what she had let her family do without standing up to them, they would be disgusted by her anyway. She had no place here or anywhere else.

Maybe it was okay if she got caught breaking all the rules. Maybe they'd expel her, maybe her brother would find her. But she was fine with that. She was tired of running. No one needed her anyway.

"Neko?"

"Are you okay? I mean, I know I'm asking a lot, you really shouldn't have to-"

"It's fine. I just- I miss you." If she could at least see her best friend one last time, it would be worth it.

"I miss you too, nerd. Now, don't sound that depressed. Go to sleep and find out more tomorrow. I want to meet you and not some zombie residing in your body."


	24. breaking down

**Chapter 24: breaking down**

Aizawa crawled out of his bright yellow sleeping bag. The class fell silent within less than two seconds. At least _some_ progress.

"Alright, I have an important announcement." That caught the students' attention. "For those of you with a provisional licence, another career experience is up ahead."

There it came. Izuku gulped.

"This will be the last time we're doing this as a class. Most of the offers from the sports festival still stand, and I'm sure you will all get chances at other places, too. This experience won't be limited to a particular period of time. You will work there part-time while attending school. You may even be called out of class to assist your agency and it will be up to you to catch up with school work."

This was completely different than before. All Might hadn't told Izuku as much.

Iida raised his hand but before he could pose a question, Aizawa-sensei answered it, " _All_ of you with provisional licences will attend."

His eyes stayed fixed on Izuku for a second. The boy could see half of his classmates turning to him, all with the same worried look in their eyes. So, that's what the school administration had decided.

"Of course, we'll need to get your parents' or legal guardians' permission first. Please hand them these forms to sign." Aizawa grabbed a stack of paper and started handing it out to the students.

"For the three of you attending remedial class, I'll hand you the info about the next few appointments."

Three? Only Kacchan and Todoroki had failed the exam… Izuku accepted the dossier from his teacher. It seemed to be thicker than the others' and he didn't have to guess why. He followed his homeroom teacher with his eyes as he handed a single piece of paper to Todoroki, Kacchan and… Hikari? The girl looked just as puzzled as he felt. In front of him, he could hear Kacchan mutter a _what the fuck_. But the explosive boy contained himself and settled for throwing a murderous glare at the mentioned girl.

Aizawa-sensei meanwhile returned to his spot behind the teacher's desk. With hands stowed into his pockets he announced, "There are some guests waiting outside. These three third-years will tell you about the new internship system. Please come inside."

The whole class gasped at the idea of meeting their upperclassmen. Aizawa continued while three figures entered the room, "These three rank on top of all U.A. students, they're also called the big three. Please stay calm and listen."

Izuku's eyes widened at the sight of the entering figures. He knew that face. Somewhere, he had seen the one student walking in front before. The older student wore a confident, infectious smile, had friendly blue eyes and a bulky statue that screamed with strength. Behind him followed a girl with extremely long blue hair and pretty face. Last in tow was a boy who looked like he'd rather be anywhere else but here. Very relatable.

1-A immediately started babbling in excitement. Meanwhile, Izuku frowned, muttering to himself. Where had he seen the first boy before? Was it… The trash face. He remembered. This had been the face coming from inside the wall while he brought out the trash after his fight with Bakugou. Was that guy really at the top of all U.A. students?

* * *

As everyone else hushed to the gym, Hikari went up to the teacher's desk. She was a bit surprised but mostly glad Bakugou didn't show any intention of coming after her. She waited until everyone else was out before asking, "Aizawa-sensei? What exactly are those remedial classes? And why do I have to attend?"

"They're for those who failed the provisional licence exam," the teacher explained while organising the sheets on his desk. His gaze stayed focused on her eyes, but she had seen them trailing up to the greenish bruise on her temple a few times during homeroom.

"I don't get it," Hikari fidgeted with the hems of her sleeves, "I didn't even take the exam. How can I attend remedial classes?"

"It was the principal's request. All I know is that it would be a pain to let you participate in the next exam on your own or with another class. That never turns out well. Also, skill wise, I believe you're ready. It's mostly your mindset they need to work on anyway."

A gust of wind came from the open window, almost blowing the newly arranged stack of paper from the desk. After the last few weeks had been incredibly hot, the weather had turned unusually grey for September. As if it wanted to underline Hikari's already dejected mood.

"Todoroki and Bakugou are the only two other students from our school attending."

Wonderful, just wonderful. Bakugou wasn't even sparing her a glance, he only had called her an extra a few times. Todoroki seemed nice behind that stoic face, he was close friends with Midoriya and Iida after all, but she hadn't really talked to him as well. Only the usual, polite "good mornings" and so on. Hesitantly, Hikari thanked the teacher, "I see. Thank you for believing in me." And she meant it, even if she herself couldn't. Aizawa-sensei only gave a single nod. "Now, hurry, they won't be waiting for you."

That seemed to be the end of the conversation. Hikari gave a slight bow before turning on her heels. She had no intention of joining the fight, so she didn't need to rush, but she could at least make it look like she did to reassure her teacher. Besides, there was no way she was going to change with the other girls still in the room. She wasn't ready to show them the full extension of the marks of her past. She wasn't even ready to wear short-sleeved shirts without bandaging her arms.

"Shikogane," Aizawa called after her. Surprised, the girl came to a halt at the doorstep and turned to face the hero again. "Yes, sensei?"

The man sighed, brushing a strand of hair out of his face. "I'm sorry about yesterday. As a teacher, I shouldn't have let the two of you go that far. This is on me. But," there came the famous _but_ , "I hope you two can resolve that issue until tomorrow. Otherwise, I don't see how you'll be able to get through remedial classes."

* * *

When she entered the stage, the whole class already took its fighting stand. Hikari trailed over to Aizawa-sensei and Todoroki leaning against the wall at the side of the sports field. She was a bit surprised to see the dual quirk wielder there. After crossing half the distance, the female of the big three, Hadou Nejire, appeared before her, forcing her to stumble back a step.

"Hello there!" the bubbly upperclassman greeted. "You must be the one who transferred recently!"

"Yes?"

Hadou eyed her with interest, forcing Hikari to take another step back because she very much liked her personal space.

"Why are your arms all bandaged up? Do you always frown that much? It will give you wrinkles, you know? Also, what's your quirk? I haven't seen you before! Oh, and is your eye colour also a side-effect of your quirk? Can you-"

A yelp came from the back. Before Hikari registered what was going on, the big blonde third year disappeared in the ground. _IN_ the ground.

"I guess it already started," Hadou stated carefree, "you better take a good look before it's over."

That sounded… Ominous. Hikari did as told, her eyes not leaving the field. By the time she leaned against the wall beside Todoroki, half of the class was already down. It couldn't have been more than a handful of seconds.

" _Mirio Togata is the closest man to becoming the new number one, including the pros."_

Aizawa-sensei's words burned themselves into her mind. Todoroki watched in awe as Mirio Togata proceeded to take out the rest of the class within seconds.

"You two aren't joining?" Aizawa wanted to know, eyes not leaving the field. Something told Hikari he was more interested in how his class fared than he was ready to admit.

"I don't have my license yet," Todoroki announced, a bleak look on his face. That didn't stop Bakugou from joining, though. Hikari felt a little bad for Todoroki. From what she knew, no one was as disappointed in him as he himself. Still, she neither tried to cheer him up nor to answer Aizawa's question. Half of her mind was elsewhere, preoccupied the thought how easy it would be to set up a secret meeting with Neko if she had Mirio Togata's quirk.

1-A was down in an instant. They all clutched their stomachs, listening to Togata with awe. He was powerful, but not by birth. He had made himself the man they called closes to number one. He would make a wonderful hero one day, someone people admired. Someone who earned his place. Just like Shinsou, Midoriya and everyone else here.

Hikari didn't know where it came from, but she was hurting. Badly.

* * *

"So, what do you think about those lively first years?" Nejire walked by her friends, a slight jump to her steps. "They look quite interesting to me! To think they already had so many experiences as first years… Too bad _we_ didn't get that."

Mirio, completely content with how their visit turned out, nodded. "They sure are energetic! I bet this was a wonderful experience for them. Also, that problem child… He did well. I think he might like Sir!"

"You sure seem to have taken a liking to him. Are you going to recommend him?"

"Haha, who knows?" Mirio folded his hands behind his head, smiling as always, but clearly debating his next steps. "What about you? Seen anyone you're interested in?"

Nejire, going through all interesting things she had seen today, took a moment to reply. "I'm not sure. But I think that girl who didn't participate will become troublesome at some point."

* * *

Hikari crashed down on her chair, rubbing her sore tights. She didn't plan to work out even more, but the circumstances required every bit of dedication. The girl still felt drowsy from the sudden change in temperature. Her hair was damp from the drizzle, the long-sleeved shirt stuck to her cold, wet back. As much as she enjoyed the cold breeze, she had had no choice but to close the doors to the tiny balcony in need of privacy. She fetched a plain looking notebook from one of the drawers of her desk and grabbed the nearest pencil. Time to write down what she knew before exhaustion made her forget everything. She put down the point of the pencil, waiting for the words to come.

 _Thursday, 7:17, Hound Dog._

That was odd. Hikari turned a few pages back, finding almost the same words.

 _Monday, 7:21, Hound Dog._

There had to be a schedule to their watch, it couldn't be completely randomized. Of course, it wasn't easy to figure out, otherwise villains would have an easy time breaking in. She had to be smart about this. Everyday around the same time after dinner, Hikari went for a jog around the campus, spending most of her time at the edge of the forest, looking out for the heroes watching the area. As far as she knew, guarding duty had been stocked up since she arrived at the school, even more after the incident in Onderon. Meaning, it would be incredibly hard for her to sneak out.

Sighing, the hero in training brushed her bangs out of her face and reached for her phone. Time to tell her friend that she still had nothing. Neko answered the call after the fifth ring, "Hey 'Kari, sorry, had to shake someone off. How's it going?"

"Hey yourself. Still nothing useful here. What about you?"

"I see… But honestly, I'm not mad. With that guy appearing more and more, I think it's better that way."

Hikari grimaced. Why did that stupid, psychopathic ass of a brother have to get into the spotlight now? His actions so far were limited to petty little crimes, not worth more than one paragraph on the small side column, but they very obviously bore her brother's fingerprint. At least one agency had to be up to him by now and if not, her trust in the hero society would be fully crushed. Also, the more spotlight he got, the sooner someone _here_ would realize the similarities between them. The look, the quirk, the name, literally anything. The thoughts sent a shiver down her spine. Hikari closed her notebook. Leaning back in her chair she deflected, "Whatever. Any news from Seishin?"

"Not much I can tell you via phone… But things here are getting weird, you wouldn't believe the bullshit I hear all day long."

"Try me."

That earned a laugh from the quirkless girl on the other side of the line. "Fine. Newest rumours: The basement is haunted! I've talked to multiple people who swore they had seen a little girl with horns dressed in a tattered white sheet running around the basement. Can you believe that? A little girl with horns. Dressed in a white sheet. Boo."

"Spooky," Hikari commented, putting her notebook back into the drawer.

"Yeah, exactly. But," there was a pause indicating Neko was choosing her next words wisely, "I don't think it's all made up?"

That caught Hikari's interest. "Why? Do you think there's still anyone with a quirk left at Seishin? Someone that could make like, little girl ghosts appear?"

"No," came the answer, "I highly doubt that. After they expelled around twenty students only suspected of having a quirk, they all knew better, so many were pulled out by their parents. I don't think anyone is stupid enough to stay here. But still…According to Yotsune, Tomomo was very vocal about it being nothing more than a stupid ghost story."

 _Tomomo._ His presence alone was alarming. They all thought he had fled with Neo Kumo. But where could her brother have hidden Tomomo all this time? How did her ex-classmate get back to Seishin? Why did no one question his presence? Why could he still go to school like an ordinary kid after helping a villain break into freaking Seishin Academy and wasn't facing any sort of consequences?

Deep inside, Hikari knew. Corruption. Somehow, Tomomo had bought his way back in. Or someone did it for him. But who? Neo Kumo wasn't influential or wealthy enough, considering he had to stick to pathetic shop lifting.

"You still there?"

Ripped from her thoughts, Hikari shook her head. "Yeah, sorry, just thinking."

"Anyway, I'll be looking further into it. My most relevant leads are still the kids that go missing for a few days. As far as I know they've all been seen in the basement before calling in sick for a few days. That might have something to do with it."

Hikari rubbed her temple. Just what was going on in there?

"Hey, I think Yotsune's trying to call, I better take this. Hear you tomorrow?"

"Sure, hear you. Good night, Neko."

"Night! And don't worry about us here, we're handling it."

It didn't sound like it. Still, Hikari trusted her friend with her life. "I'll try."

Sighing for what felt the hundredth time today, she ended the call, already thinking about all the homework she still needed to do. At least tomorrow was Friday. Maybe Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than to beat her up at extra class. Or he wouldn't, and Aizawa-sensei would call off their sparring, realizing that setting them up against each other was not a good idea. Maybe-

Two missed calls from an unknown number during her call with Neko. Hikari stared at her phone in disbelief. No one called her aside from Neko. The only other she could imagine were either Midoriya or Aizawa-sensei for more info about remedial lessons or something, but she had both their contacts. This didn't make any sense. The girl blinked at the number for a few seconds, thoughts rushing through her head, one more ridiculous than the other. She was about to put the device as far away from her as possible to prevent more distraction, when the exact number called again. Her heartbeat quickened. She had a very bad feeling about this.

"Hello?"

For a second, there was silence, until a woman spoke, sounding strained, "Is this Shikogane Hikari?"

There was no malevolence in her voice, so Hikari answered, "Yes? Wh-who is this?"

"This- This is Takeru Nami. I'm Naoki's sister. You were the Hikari who interned with him? You tried to call him and sent him a letter, didn't you?"

Something about this wasn't right. Hikari's heart sank. Was it really Divination's sister?

"I- Yes, I did. How is he?"

"I… I'm sorry..."

* * *

Izuku reached for the piled-up plates. Today was his turn washing the dishes. He dutifully picked them up and brought them to the kitchen area, only to go back to get the rest. He absentmindedly turned around the corner, his head filled with all kinds of possible scenarios how his mother would be reacting once she heard of the new internship.

The boy took another step, barely avoiding crashing into someone. "So-sorr-... Hikari?"

The girl slowly lifted her chin, staring through him with a blank expression. For the first time today, he could see the full extent of the bruising on her face. It looked painful.

"Hikari, are you alright? What… What happened yesterday?"

She didn't answer, her eyes were still directed at him but not really seeing him.

"...Hikari?" he tried again, worry taking over. His friend didn't react, not even as he lifted his hand to hover beside her arm, unsure whether to touch or not.

Suddenly, something caught her attention. Golden eyes focussed, targeting something behind Izuku. Irritated, he turned to look for the source of the sudden change. Some of their classmates were on the seating accommodation, heads put together over a phone. It was hard to say what they were watching, at least until a certain name came up. Before Izuku's brain registered it, Hikari dashed past him. Only after he heard the door slammed shut, his brain caught up.

 _Neo Kumo._ They definitely had mentioned Neo Kumo in whatever his classmates were watching. Izuku's feet moved on their own. He put the plates back on the table, someone called after him, but he ignored it. He slipped into his read sneakers, not bothering to tie the laces. Cold wind dishevelled his green bush of hair as he ripped the door open, drops sprinkled his face. He leaped down the set of stairs. The ground was wet and slippery, soon his sneakers and calves were covered in mud. Rain clouded his vision, multiple times he almost lost track of the purple shock of hair. She was running towards the forest, fast. _Very_ fast. Why he couldn't say, but somehow, he just knew she was going to do something incredibly stupid and dangerous.

The purple spot disappeared. Izuku's heart missed a beat. In a second of panic he took a leap, subconsciously activating One for All. He sailed through the air without direction. It seemed a miracle that as he came down, slipping on wet leaves, almost tripping only steps in front of the girl he so desperately tried to stop. She almost managed to pass by him but his hand found a save grip on her hoodie.

" _Let me go!"_ Hikari screeched hysterically. The out of character reaction almost made Izuku loose his grip. Realizing he wasn't letting go of her, the girl leashed out with her fist but missed as she almost slipped on the wet grass beneath their feet. And yet she showed no signs of giving in. Hikari drove against him, effectively knocking him over. As he hadn't let go of her hoodie, they both toppled over, crashing into the muddy grass. Pain shot through Izuku's arm. He ignored the sensation and threw himself at the girl who was already on her feet again, ready to run. His arms wrapped around her middle, anchoring her with an iron grip. The new holder of One for All was surprised and impressed by the strength of his friend, for a moment he considered using his quirk to hold her back.

Hikari screamed. She beat her fists into his arms, tried to push him away but found no footing in the smacking wet dirt.

" _Let me go!"_ she cried once again, voice shaking. She was still throwing her tantrum, but her blows became less and less violent. Her body began to shudder in his arms, her erratic breathing slowly turned into sobs. Soon all resistance died and Izuku loosened his grip. Immediately, the girl fell to her knees and dragged him down with her. Izuku had no idea what just happened - he helplessly stared as his friend broke down, tears mixing with a hundred drops of freezing cold rain.

"Hi-hikari…" he began, not gaining any reaction. Again, his hand hovered beside her arm unsure whether he was allowed to touch. His heart grew heavy at the sight of his her wrapping her arms around herself, sobs rattling through her body. Just what had gotten her into this state? It pained him to see her like this… He wanted to be there for her, like she had been for him. He gulped down all his anxiety, asking himself how she had cheered him up when he broke down in the hospital. His hand rose, coming down on top of her head. He could feel her stiffen as it stroke down the back of her head, his fingers entangling with the wet, dark mess of hair. He repeated the movement again, then once more. Before he could set his hand down a fourth time, her face smashed into his shoulder, cold fingers clawing into his polo. This time he didn't hesitate to wrap an arm around her while the other carried on with the petting motion. They were both soaked to the bone. The cool started to settle in, numbing Izuku's fingers. Soon, he would be shaking, too. He went on, drawing comforting circles on her back until she finally croaked, "I'm sorry."

He stopped. Covering up his own insecurity he shook his head. "There's nothing to be sorry about, I'm sure you had a reason."

"I just... I… I can't do this anymore." Her front was still burrowed in his shoulder, her voice muffled and hard to understand. The raindrops splashed around them, they grew bigger and heavier.

"What happened?" Was all he could ask. Hikari's body shook in his arms. He needed to get her inside.

"I don't want, I can't… Everything just hurts…" There was so much pain in her voice, it hurt him just to listen.

"Is it because of your brother?" Maybe he shouldn't have said that. The girl stiffened. For a moment he was afraid she forgot how to breathe.

"Everything… I… What if," she stuttered, "what if they found out? What if they hate me like everyone else? I th-thought I could do something, I thought I could help people like you a-and me, but I can't do anything! I can't even beat a damn kid from gen ed, how will I ever be able to beat my brother?!"

Wait…

"I c-can't help m-my best friend, I'm not even allowed to _see_ her… What if he hurts her? What-"

"They won't let that happen!" Izuku tried to reassure her. It was his best shot. Sadly, he gained the opposite reaction from what he hoped for. Hikari pushed herself away from him, her head hung low.

"He already broke into Seishin once, who says he's not gonna do it again?!" She lifted her head, tear filled eyes staring Izuku down. "Tomomo will just help him again!"

"Tomomo? What do you mean? He's disappeared-"

"He's back," she interrupted him, "he's back at Seishin!"

"How-"

"Kureshi will hurt her. And if he doesn't, Seishin will. He'll kill her like he killed Divination-"

Izuku froze. What did she just say?

"If I can find him first and let him-"

"Do you think he'll stop after he kills you?!" The words left his lips as high-pitched screeching. He couldn't believe it. Hikari was throwing all those facts at him, his head couldn't wrap around the fact that Tomomo who knocked Yaoyorozu out and let a villain into a school was back at that exact school, then the girl in front of him mentioned their partner from Onderon was dead, had been killed and no one told him, right before suggesting he wanted to hand herself over to a man who wanted to murder her.

"I don't know! I don't know," Hikari sobbed again, "I just want all of this to end… Everyone around me gets hurt, I don't want to lose anyone else! I can't help it, I can't help anyone, you're better off if I'm gone-"

"Hikari!"

"Don't pretend you care, you don't need me anymore-"

Anger exploded in Izuku's chest at the accusation. He wrapped his arms around her again, forcing her into a hug. Hikari struggled, but she wasn't strong enough to get free.

"Don't you dare say that again," he hissed, his own hot tears now mixing with the rain. "I do need you, you're my friend. I wouldn't know what I'd do without you. I don't understand why you feel this way, but you've helped me more than you can imagine. Please... Don't do that. I… I don't want to lose you."

Izuku sat on top of the stairs. His head hung low, supported by the hand covering most of his face. He shivered despite wearing his thickest hoodie. He wished he had taken a longer shower, but he was afraid he would miss Hikari on her way up. He reluctantly left her by herself after her breakdown, but he had to warm himself up as well. It seemed a miracle he had been able to convince her to get back into the dorm and take a hot shower. Her lips had already been turning blue as they arrived back.

The teenager looked at his phone. Was he supposed to inform Aizawa-sensei? Or should he ask his mom for help? He first considered asking Iida, but Hikari wouldn't want anyone to know about it. He couldn't risk her feeling betrayed.

"... Midoriya?"

He almost dropped the phone. His head shot up, finding the source of his concern. Good thing it was her, he had no idea how to explain what he was doing up here all by himself when his own room was down on the second floor.

"I, uhm," he fidgeted with his phone, "I j-just wanted t-to s-see how you were doing…"

Hikari didn't look at him. "A little better…"

"That's- that's good." He was really bad at those things. "Do, do you want me to stay for a bit? I mean, uhm, if you want to talk, I-I am a good listener, at least I think so, I mean, I'm not good at talking so I'm definitely better at listening, if you want, of course, if not I'll go back down…" And he was babbling again. Stopping himself from saying any more dumb things Izuku watched his classmate. He patiently waited for any sign. Finally, Hikari gave a single nod. She still didn't look at him.

As he followed her to her room, he asked himself how mad the others were that he ditched them. Iida and Yaoyorozu, the dutiful ones of the class, had probably cleaned after him. He needed to apologize tomorrow.

Hikari turned on the light and went over to close the curtains. Rain was still splattering across the windows. Izuku closed the door behind his back, hovering in the back of the room. He hadn't been in here before. It looked nice and tidy, almost minimalistic with the lack of character. Only a small poster of a punk rock band at the wall, which looked like it was a present from Jirou, and two plants indicated that someone lived here. It was a slightly depressing sight.

Movement caught his attention. Hikari went over to sit on the bed. At last she locked eyes with him, if only half a second, inviting him to sit with her. Izuku sat down at her side, his back leaning against the wall. She grabbed a fluffy blanked from the foot of the bed and threw it over their legs. He greatly appreciated the additional warmth. Suddenly, he felt a weight settling on his shoulder.

"Is… Is this okay?" came a whisper. The fruity smell of her shampoo found its way into his nose.

"Yeah." Having her head rest on his shoulder didn't feel as awkward as he expected. He hesitated, then carefully wrapped his left arm around her back. He could hear the wind howling outside. Something crashed. Izuku startled, but Hikari shook her head. "Just the flower pot. I'll get it later."

The future Symbol of Peace sighed. He settled back down. "What happened?"

For a while, there was silence. Izuku thought he wasn't getting any answers and settled for comforting her with his presence. It was the least he could do. Until finally, a whisper cut through the silence, "I got a call from Divination's sister. He… He's been in a coma since Onderon. The villains and my brother, they must have found him and… And…" Her voice trailed off, too afraid to speak the words. Izuku squeezed her shoulder.

"When she called, I knew. His quirk overloaded, that and the fight he had… It was too much for his body to take. They tried everything they could, but in the end, it wasn't enough to save him."

Izuku had only known Divination for a few hours, but he seemed a good, straight up guy. A true hero who decided to endure his pain if it meant he could prevent others from harm.

"I'm so sorry..."

A single, manic laugh escaped Hikari. "It's ridiculous, you know? I only knew him for what, a little more than two days? And yet…"

"It only shows how much you care. That's a good thing, even if it hurts."

"But it hurts so much! And it's my fault… If I hadn't been there, my brother wouldn't have shown up! Divination could have escaped, he might still be alive…"

Izuku couldn't listen to this. "It's not your fault. You told me it wasn't my fault Dragon attacked, that he killed and hurt all those people. So, now I'm telling you that none if this is your fault, you did all you could."

"You don't know about that." He didn't have to look, he knew from her voice that her eyes were watering again.

"But I do," he argued, "no one can hold your responsible for the things your family did."

Hikari pushed herself up, away from him. "You don't know what I let them do. You don't know what I've seen them do without stepping in. I've seen them torture, murder people. They didn't even care if those people were innocent. They killed everyone who was unfortunate enough to get in their way."

She clenched her fists in her lap. A horrid realisation soared through Izuku's conscious. "Did they… Did they make you watch as they...?"

"My brother, he… He did horrible things to me. He hurt me, he used me as a subject to find out how to use his quirk in the most excruciating way…. Sometimes, he would force me to use my quirk to study it, to make sure I had no way of overpowering him at some point. I had learnt to control it a bit before all this, but I he frightened me so much, I…"

Izuku stiffened. All he could do was listening to her horrific tale.

"Sometimes, when it got too bad, he would blindfold me and drag me to some guy with a healing quirk, so mom wouldn't notice… I was so terrified of him, I never dared to object. I don't think this is what my mother wanted, but she was too occupied getting revenge for my father's death to notice what was going on. So, when he wanted me to watch them do all those things, I did. I simply watched. I didn't help those people. I'm no hero, I'm the furthest away from it someone could ever be. I don't deserve to be here..."

"Stop. Please, stop." How could the world be this cruel? No one deserved to go through anything like this. He couldn't help the resentfulness bubbling up in his chest. He… He wouldn't let anyone hurt her ever again.

"I'll help you. I'll help you getting stronger, so we can put an end to this. Just please don't give yourself up, you're not alone. We can get stronger together."

Hikari lifted her chin. She looked at him with such a vulnerable expression, it was shredding his heart into pieces. He reached for her clenched fist.

"I know I can't force you to trust me, Hikari, but I trust you. All I can do is ask you to believe me. I'll help you. I promise, I'll help you with whatever I can, but please don't do that. Don't let him get you."

She blinked a few tears away. "Midoriya…"

The silence returned. Hikari's head sunk again and she leaned back against the wall, face turned away. She didn't shake his hand off, though. They both settled back, the warmth of the blanked made Izuku feel drowsy.

"Midoriya?" The girl raised her voice, startling him, "Thank you. For everything."

He offered her a soft smile. "Always."


	25. in the shadows

**Chapter 25: in the shadows**

It was relatively easy to get in. With Yotsune hacking into the security system and the buildings being abandoned for the night, chances of running into anyone were slim. With the cap and hood on her head, the surgical mask covering her face and the gloves on her hands she wouldn't be easily recognizable. Aside from that, she knew Seishin Academy from the back of her hand. Finding her way around the basement wouldn't be that hard.

Neko snuck down two more sets of stairs. She had been on both of these floors before, although not in this exact section, but there was nothing unusual. The one below, on the other hand… She glanced over the railing, seeing three more levels. That was definitely weird. She had studied the blueprints, knew most of them by heart and there shouldn't be that many floors. She quickly took a few pictures with her phone, then proceeded to sneak a peek through the exit door at the bottom of the stairs. It was almost pitch-black inside, just like in the stairway, only illuminated by the few exit signs. Driven by curiosity, the girl decided that looking wouldn't hurt.

The silence inside was overwhelming. Her steps echoed through the hall, the rustling of her clothes was as loud as a crackling fire. From what she could see, the walls had a different design from the ones above. She took another picture of the plain and clean grey surface. Despite feeling endless in length, there were only few doors lining the corridors. Doors without windows, some even without handles but card readers as locks. They were all marked by numbers with no reference point to what could be stored inside.

Neko stopped in front of the closest one, pressing her ear to the wood. Nothing. She took more pictures of the card readers and the numbers, until a sound caused her to freeze. Those were unmistakably steps, even though they sounded weirdly light and jumpy. Like a kid running, but that was absurd.  
Waking from her trance, Neko rushed back, turning around a corner to hide-

Wrong corner. The Seishin student froze, taking in the small silhouette in front of her. It looked humanoid, but it barely reached her bellybutton, there was something strange on top of its head. It dawned on her. Neko gulped before she hunkered down to get a better view. It was as she expected. Apparently, the rumours about the child shaped ghost with horns were more than just a ghost story. In front of the teenager stood a girl, about eight years old, with silky white hair and a horn on her front. The child looked terrified, eyes wide. The little girl took a step back, but before she could run, Neko whispered, "Hey, little one! Don't run, I'm not here to hurt you!"

Obviously taken by surprise, the little girl stopped. Her big eyes wandered over Neko's frame. The Seishin student pulled her surgical mask down and her hood up, so the girl could at least partially see her face. Lastly, she reached into her pocket.

"Hey there," Neko said with a soft smile. The girl still looked wary, her eyebrows drawn together in a frown. This wasn't an expression a little girl should wear. Neko kept her friendly face up, talking to the her again, "What are you doing down here that late?"

The little girl didn't answer.

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone. I liked to sneak out when I was younger, too. I still do, actually, or how else would I be here?"

The horned girl tilted her head. Only now Neko realized that she wasn't wearing a white sheet, but more of a hospital gown. Her tiny arms were wrapped up in bandages. Neko couldn't help but think of Hikari, and her face fell. The girl noticed. She hid her arms behind her small back and began walking backwards.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to stare," Neko began, "you don't have to hide them from me! I have a friend, she often wraps up her arms, too. She's been hurt when she was your age."

The little girl stopped.

"Does it still hurt?"

The girl hesitated, then nodded.

"Do you want me to help you?" It was a long shot, but the sight angered Neko more than she liked. She wouldn't let that girl end up like her best friend.

"Who did this to you? Please, I want to help."

The girl suddenly shook her head. "Dangerous," she whispered, "he'll hurt you."

"Who will?" Neko pressed on, taking a step to the backing down girl which only caused her to stagger backwards even faster.

"No, leave," the girl pleaded, "Papa will hurt you."

 _Oh god_ , it was her father. Families could be so cruel. Gulping down all her anger, Neko reassured, "Don't worry, he won't. Not if I'm smart about this, and believe me, I am _very_ smart. I want to help you. What's your name?"

The horned girl stared at her in disbelief. "E-eri…"

"Alright, Eri-chan, I promise I'll do everything I can. And, by the way, I'm Ne-"

Somewhere, a door shut. Neko startled. Heavy, fast steps were approaching. Suddenly, Eri pushed her back.

"Go," the little girl pleaded, "they'll hurt you."

Neko wanted to protest, but there wasn't anything she could do right now. She needed more info and a plan. "Don't worry, Eri-chan, I'll come back. Just hang in there."

Eri pushed her back once more before the little turned and ran back to where she came from. Neko dove around the closest corner. Her steps were too loud to get any further, she had to wait it out. She pressed her back against the wall and listened.

"There you are," spoke a muffled voice. It was a man's and he had to be wearing something in front of his mouth.

"You know you shouldn't run. Your father's not gonna like this when he hears about it. Now come."

Eri didn't protest. Neko waited even after she heard the door shut. It took minutes before she dared to really breath again. Deciding she had enough for one night, the Seishin student marched back to the stairway, taking more pictures along the way. She just hoped the recording device in her pocket worked.

* * *

Dragon watched the whole encounter with bemusement. With the purple tinting his vision as a side effect of his lackey's quirk, the warehouse looked even more run down than it already was. He was glad not having to physically be there.

The beaked Yakuza leader standing a few meters away was far younger than he had expected, but he wasn't naïve enough to let himself be deceived by looks. The League of Villains members though, looked as ludicrous as he had heard. All young and inexperienced. They hadn't even noticed him watching them from his hideout.

Dragon listened to the young Yakuza leader, Overhaul, as he explained his point of view. It almost sounded like the young man thought he could take All for One's place as the new "emperor of darkness", as he called the now imprisoned super villain. How laughable. Few times had Dragon seen villains taken so seriously by the media behave so immature. He counted the seconds until the fight broke out and claimed its first victim.

He had seen enough. The man sunk back into the shadows. Screams echoed through the warehouse as he calmly turned his back to the scene.

It didn't take Overhaul long to get out. Blood stained his face and jacket, but it was not his. Dragon watched as one of the henchmen handed him a disinfection wipe. He waited until Overhaul's face was clean before coming out of the shadows.

"What a nice play."

Overhaul and his men stopped. The Yakuza seemed more annoyed than impressed. "And who would you be?"

Dragon only laughed. "Bold of you to assume I would underestimate you, my young Yakuza friend."

Something flashed over the visible half of the beaked villain's face, "I assume you're here to propose a deal. I'm not in the mood for your games, Dragon, so make it quick."

* * *

Hikari called in sick the next day. She didn't even make it out of bed. Her head was spinning, her body felt weak. There was no way she could face anyone today without breaking out in tears and she couldn't have that. Aizawa-sensei luckily didn't push for details, just ordered her to pay a visit to Recovery Girl. She wondered if someone had tipped him off about her breakdown yesterday.

She had been woken by the alarm in the morning, tucked into her fluffy blanket despite not remembering falling asleep. She still had to thank Midoriya for everything. Speaking of the devil… The second time she awoke about an hour before noon, three messages with his name on top flashed on the display of her phone. They left a weird, warm feeling in her chest. She quickly texted him back that she was okay and going to see Recovery Girl, before pulling the blanket off. Getting up, putting on clothes and brushing her hair was exhausting. She felt lethargic. A look in the mirror revealed dark circles and pale complexion that made the greenish brown bruise in her face stand out even more. Not particularly moved by the observation, Hikari made her way out of the abandoned dorm. She had about half an hour left until the ground would be flooded by students enjoying lunch break. Enough time to get to the infirmary, even with her slow pace today, before anyone could spot her. The girl crossed the school grounds, climbed up the stairs of the main building and knocked at the desired door.

"Come in," came the voice almost immediately. Hikari stepped in, closing the door behind. Recovery Girl didn't spare her a glance as she commanded, "Sit down, dear."

It was an odd feeling coming here without being physically hurt. At least not to the extend she needed the heroine's help. Recovery Girl turned on her chair, not impressed by the slightest to see the ex Seishin student here.

"Aizawa has informed me you would be visiting today."

Hikari took a deep breath.

"He also told me that you would be visiting every second day after your extra classes from now on, as well as whenever you feel like you need it. Orders from the principal."

Hikari blinked in confusion. What was this all about?

"It is my duty to care for the students' well-being, physically, as well as _mentally_."

* * *

"I'm really sorry!" Izuku bowed to his friend. Iida had been the one to clean after him yesterday after he ran off. The blue haired teen adjusted his glasses.

"I-It was kind of an emergency," Izuku tried to explain, not sure how much he should tell.

"The same emergency you went to Aizawa-sensei to talk about?" Iida guessed right.

"Yeah..." Izuku took a look around. There weren't many students in the hallway, most had gone down to the cafeteria for lunch. The boy was torn. He needed to tell someone, but he also didn't want to say too much. Iida seemed to notice his strange behaviour.

"Midoriya, if it's something you can't talk about-"

"I don't- It's not about me. And I don't want to hurt that person's feelings by telling anything without their permission, but…"

"There surely is something, you can say," the class president suggested. Izuku sighed and made sure no one he knew was around, before he began, "It's about Hikari. I, uhm, I kinda found out some stuff about her and… Well, she's dealing with a lot and she's dealing very badly with it. She tried to do something really stupid yesterday and I was able to stop her, but I'm afraid she's going to try again…"

That had to be enough. It was all he could tell without mentioning certain things. Izuku looked back up at his friend who wore a contemplative look. It took Iida a moment to gather his thoughts and remark, "To be honest, I was expecting something like this."

"Eh?"

"Her behaviour has troubled some of our class, Yaoyorozu already came to me a few days ago." Of course, they had noticed.

"Neither of us knew what to do, because we don't have a clue what's going on."

Izuku took the hint, but he wasn't so easily convinced. "I tried to convince her to tell you, I mean, she was able to convince me to talk to you about… My…. You know… But I just can't get her to do it, I don't know how!"

"Are Shikogane's parents villains?"

The accusation hit Izuku like a bomb. He stared at his friend wide eyed. Iida visibly wasn't very comfortable with the subject as well, but he continued, "We guessed after we saw how similar your situations were, and how fast the two of you became close. She also was the one to tell Todoroki to cool your burns when you had your..." He didn't have to say it.

"We realize that it is a bold assumption, which is why Yaoyorozu didn't want to ask her directly without confirmation."

Izuku's heart sank. She would be so mad at him, but he couldn't let Iida go to her with nothing more than presumptions. So, he said the only thing he could, "It's her brother and mother."

Iida had nothing to answer to that. Judging by his expression, complex thoughts were running his brain.

"It-" but before Izuku could say more, a familiar face appeared at their sides. With sparkling blue eyes, Mirio Togata greeted them, "Hello, lively first-years! Your classmates told me I might find you here!"

Izuku and Iida exchanged a look, unsure how to react.

"Midoriya-kun, right? All Might-sensei wants to have a talk with the two of us!"

* * *

It was more than simply awkward to sit with Togata in All Might's office. Izuku had been here often enough to feel somewhat comfortable on his own, but with his senpai, one of the strongest students in all of U. A.? He had to stop himself from fidgeting with everything his fingers could reach.

"Young Togata, young Midoriya, thank you for coming," All Might began.

"It's no trouble," Togata beamed, "it's an honour to be called here by you!"

All Might chuckled. "You flatter me, but I'm not the man I once was."

"But you will always be an inspiration to all of us, right Midoriya-kun?"

"Eh? O-Of c-course!"

"So, what can I do for you? This is about Sir Nighteye, isn't it?" Togata guessed. Izuku looked up at his mentor, eyes wide. Sir Nighteye had been All Might's sidekick years ago, hadn't he? As far as the boy knew, Nighteye had his own office by now. Did that mean Togata-senpai was interning with him?

"You guessed right, young Togata. There's something I have to ask of you, and I apologize in advance." The previous Symbol of Peace folded his hands in his laps. He wasn't comfortable with what he was about to ask. Togata though, smiled as brightly as ever.

"It's no problem, I really don't mind! How can I help?"

"I would like you to introduce young Midoriya to Sir Nighteye. From what I've heard, he is the perfect candidate to intern at your agency. His insights are very valuable, especially regarding the case you are working on right now."

Something flashed over Togata's face. Whatever it was, it was gone in an instant and the older U.A. student smiled again. "That sounds promising. I'll see what I can do!"

"But," Izuku cut in, "the, uhm, internship… I don't even know if…"

"We called your mother this morning." Izuku stiffened. There was no way she would have simply agreed to this.

"She wasn't ready to give a straight answer…" Of course, she wasn't. "She asked us to send you home for the weekend. Principal Nedzu agreed and has taken precautions. But young Midoriya," All Might's voice suddenly turned soft, "please don't feel pressured. If you or your mother decide it is best if you don't take part, we will accept that decision. There is no shame in going easy about this."

If Togata-senpai noticed the change in the atmosphere, he didn't show it. Izuku gulped, a sneaking suspicion creeping over his conscious. Could it be that All Might didn't want him to go…?


	26. moving on

**Chapter 26: moving on**

A knock on the door. Hikari woke from her slumber. Despite having slept through most of the day, she felt restless. Something tickled beneath her skin. It took another knock to shoo her out of bed. She opened the door, not caring that she was in her pyjamas, her still half-closed eyes blinking at the unexpected guest.

"Mi-midoriya?" She croaked. The boy tried to cover up his taken aback expression, but it was too late. Hikari knew she looked like shit. His eyes went over to the bruise on her temple, then focused back on her eyes.

"Hey, I, uhm," he held up a tray with food, "the others ate dinner a while ago and left something for you."

The girl just stared at the tray, not fully wake yet.

"Yaoyorozu wanted to bring it up, but I, uhm, I wanted to talk to you about something."

Her brain still wasn't fully back on track. She simply stepped out of the doorframe to give him access to her room, eyes narrowing as she turned on the lights. Only after she gestured him to come inside, the boy advanced. He looked cautious as he entered and put the tray on her desk. They stayed silent for a moment after he sat down on the desk chair, watching Hikari plopping back on her bed.

Only after the girl's senses finally returned, she noticed him staring at her arms and legs. Hugging herself, she instinctively tried to shield her scars from his view. Instead of the expected apology, Midoriya began rolling up his own sleeve, revealing the burned skin his father branded him with. He didn't need any words to convey the message. They both had been hurt by the people supposed to be closest to them, marked for the rest of their lives, left with painful reminders. The mutuality gave Hikari a feeling of comfort. Her posture loosened.

"What did you want to talk about?" she changed the unspoken subject. Midoriya picked it up, "I wanted to know how you were?"

"How should I be?" There was bitterness in her voice. She didn't like getting too emotional. "Could be worse. I guess I just need some time to work things out."

He nodded, not pushing any further. "I really want to be here for you right now, but I will be going home for the weekend."

Hikari froze. For some inexplicable reason his statement threw her off track.

"I don't like this at all, believe me, but it has always just been my mom and me, and I left her alone for too long, I'm sorry-"

"There's nothing you have to be sorry about, Midoriya," she reassured him, ignoring the knot in her chest. "Take care of your family."

He had every right to go back and be with them, they had to be suffering from the revelation of his father being a villain as well, so why did she feel that way? A bitter sense of longing overcame her. Family, home… Ordinary things everyone was supposed to have, and yet to her those were nothing but words that left a bitter taste on her tongue. Words with somber feelings attached. They made her heart ache, yearning for the most existential emotion of all: love. In that moment, out of nowhere, she came to realize. All she wanted, was to feel loved. To feel whole again. To have a home to return to, people who cared about her, a reason to live for. She always thought herself to be a lone wolf but maybe, just maybe, her bitter solitude was plain and simple loneliness after all.

"I can take you with me next time, I'm sure mom wouldn't mind," Midoriya suddenly suggested, ripping her from her thoughts, rendering her speechless. "I-if you want, of course! I mean, that probably sounded weird, maybe I shouldn't have said that, we don't even know each other for very long, I simply thought-"

" _You would do that_?" It was nothing more than a whisper.

"Sure! I can ask her tomorrow, if you want."

The ex Seishin student couldn't cope with his offer. All she could do was stare at him at the thought of meeting a loving, functional family. Midoriya scratched the back of his head, his eyes were turned towards the floor, his cheeks glowing red. He seemed embarrassed by his own words.

"A-anyway! There's something else I wanted to tell you," he went on but stopped. His expression turned contemplative. Back to serious business.

"Yes?"

"If… Again, I'm so sorry that I can't be here for you, now that you need your friends the most... But you can always call me, okay? Like, I called you all the time after Onderon, too, remember? A-and if you need someone here… You can go talk to Yaoyorozu-san or Iida-kun."

Hikari understood why he suggested Momo, but Iida?

"This… Okay," Midoriya took a deep breath, "please don't freak out…"

"What is it," she urged as her heartbeat quickened. Midoriya bit his lip, avoiding her eyes. The seconds stretched eternally until he lastly disclosed, "They know."

Her heart stopped.

"They… They found out. Not any details, not at all, but they got the gist of it. They know you had villains in your family."

Her brain was blank.

"Iida-kun asked me about it this morning… I couldn't lie to him, so I confirmed his suspicion… But that's all I said! They don't think bad of you, they just want to help you."

Cold sweat run down her temples.

"I promise, all they want is to help. They don't care what your family did, they are here for you!"

She still couldn't react. Midoriya got up from the chair. He crouched down in front of her, placing his hands on her arms.

"Hikari…"

All she could do was stare at her own palms. They were mostly unscathed, only a few thin white lines reminding of the battle that was her life. Her brother had made sure not to touch her face or hands, because they were the hardest to hide. Genius bastard.

"Hikari, it's going to be okay, they had no trouble accepting my parentage, they won't make a drama out of this..."

She stared at him, fear in her eyes. Even if they knew what her family was, they didn't know what she had been through, what she had done… They wouldn't accept her, they would-

Her eyes fell on Midoriya's left wrist. There were glowing red scratches on it, the skin around seemed a bit swollen. It almost looked as if someone had scratched him-

A horrible thought came to mind.

" _Did I do that?_ "

The boy instinctively drew his hands back. He realized his mistake late. Unable to talk himself out of it, he tried to deflect, "I-it doesn't hurt at all! Really! It's just a scratch, it will be gone in no time-"

"I hurt you." She couldn't think. She couldn't breathe, horror began eating on her insides.

"No, it's not your fault! Please, listen!" Midoriya grabbed her by the shoulders, before either of them got any further, a knock on the door caused both to flinch. The interruption brought Hikari back to reality. She was heaving, her hands shook.

Momo's voice spoke from outside, "Hikari? Is Midoriya still with you? All Might is waiting for him downstairs."

So, that was it. This conversation had gone sideways long ago, and she was glad her friend had to leave. Hikari couldn't look him in the eyes anymore. He tried to speak with her again, but she didn't react. She just wanted to hide under her blanket and stop existing. Suddenly, arms wrapped her in a reserved hug.

"I'm sorry I have to go now," his words found their way into her consciousness, "please don't do anything stupid. You can trust us, okay?"

Hikari didn't answer. The arms around her loosened, his hands lingered for another second before he pulled back and left the room. She still couldn't move, she only sunk deeper into the silent void of her existence.

* * *

Izuku urged Yaoyorozu to not let Hikari out of sight. It was all he could do. His classmate looked even more worried than before, but the tall girl nodded. He knew he could count on her.

As he passed the common area, Ochako wished him fun, some others followed. But Izuku couldn't overlook the questioning stares they gave him. It wasn't every day that one of the students was picked up by the former Symbol of Peace himself, accompanied by another hero.

The ride home was as awkward as expected. After some time, Izuku drifted off and only came to himself once his mentor softly shook his shoulder.

"Young Midoriya, we're here."

Anxiety was picking at his nerves. Izuku missed his mom and was happy to be home. But he couldn't let go of the thought that she basically ordered the U.A. stuff to bring him here. He knew she did, because that was just like her. As reserved and polite as she was, she would never hold back if something concerning Izuku didn't go her way. Yes, she had stood up to All Might with no shame before, a small woman glaring and reprehending the strongest man in all of Japan. Her iron will truly made her a woman to be feared.

As they arrived in front of the apartment, Izuku knocked before he unlocked the door. "Mom, I'm home!"

Steps chattered. Inko Midoriya came out of the kitchen area, her face shining with relief as her eyes found her son. "Izuku!"

The teen would normally be embarrassed to be hugged so tightly by his mother in front of anyone, today though, it was different. He wrapped his arms around her, happy that she was alright. Dragon hadn't managed to hurt her, and he hopefully never would. After they let go, his mom bowed to All Might very formally, a gesture the ex hero repaid.

"Would you like to stay for dinner?" Inko asked, catching both males by surprise. All Might was about to decline when the small woman urged, "I know you want to discuss certain matters with me, better sooner than later."

All Might knew better than to fight, he knew how persistent she could be. "If you wish so. I will have to call young Midoriya's homeroom teacher though, he'll need to come over. It's actually more his affair."

Inko nodded determined. "Well, let's have a seat then. I made your favourite, Izuku. I hope you like Katsudon, All Might-san."

They started eating in silence until his mother began asking questions about his classes and friends, and the heroic department student was happy to talk about ordinary things. He told her about that time Kirishima accidentally broke all the eggs because he tried to catch the ones Tooru dropped while his quirk was activated. The image drew a chuckle out of the woman. Izuku tried to keep the mood elevated, he tried not to think about the new wrinkles around his mother's eyes, how she had lost a bit of weight and looked years older than the last time he saw her. The woman proceeded to pester All Might with questions about how Izuku's was doing academically. Not because she didn't trust her son, but in an attempt to let the man across the table take part in the conversation. As they cleared the table, Izuku risked a glance at his phone. Nothing.

"Are you expecting something?" Inko suddenly appeared behind him. Caught red handed, he stuffed the device back into his pocket. "I-I'm n-not sure."

His reaction caused his mother to raise her brows. She didn't ask for more, but he had a feeling she wasn't letting the matter drop either. The look she gave him was more of the _we'll talk later_ -sort.

Luckily, Aizawa-sensei arrived not too long after they finished. They had taken their seats at the table again, Izuku at his mother's side, All Might across the boy, leaving the seat across his mom for his homeroom teacher. The man had tied his hair back like in the press conference, which gave Izuku the feeling that he tried to look more professional than usual.

"Thank you for agreeing to discuss the matter," the black clad hero said before sitting down.

"It's not like I have much of a choice," Inko reminded him, "but I'd like to hear about those details you couldn't tell me via phone."

This was new to Izuku. Aizawa-sensei went straight to the point, "Of course. We're fully aware of the dangers, which is why we ordered the curfew. It's also why we would like your son to apply for a selected internship. The selected agency is working on a case unknown to the public, a covered operation."

"Meaning, young Midoriya would not have to be out on the streets aside from a few occasions," All Might added to convince Inko. Noting that the woman wasn't going to say anything in return, Aizawa continued "I am taking my part in this investigation as well, so I will personally be able to keep an eye on your son."

"And what would that operation be?" The woman urged. "And don't say you can't tell me anything, because I'm surely not sending my son out there not knowing what he'll have to deal with!"

"Mom-!" Izuku cut it, without success.

"I know my son wants to be a hero, and I know he wants to take part in that internship. But you know what my… My _husband_ did. You know what he's capable of. I have to know you can keep Izuku as safe as possible."

Silence fell over the four. Aizawa and Inko stared directly into each other's eyes. Izuku was reminded of Denki's and Mina's staring contests. He wiped the sweat off his pals under the table, gulping down his discomfort. Feeling like neither of them would give in, he interrupted, "You want me to apply at Sir Nighteye's agency, don't you?"

The adults finally broke the contact and turned to him.

"Yes, that was the idea," Aizawa confirmed, "there is a connection to Seishin Academy in the case they're working on. Regarding your personal experience, principal Nedzu suggested this internship for you."

His eyes widened. Seishin Academy… Could it be that there was more behind the return of Tomomo? Or was this a totally different matter?

"The high-school for quirkless? The one you had that exchange week at and got attacked by a villain?"

Izuku had a hard time not to flinch at his mother's question. "I wasn't attacked, mom," he defended, "another student was, and I just rushed in to help. But nothing serious happened, I didn't even get hurt!" Except for a few cuts and bruises. But those had been minor, nothing he wanted her to worry about.

Aizawa watched the exchange with interest before cutting in, "We regret that happened. But the other student is under protective custody at a save location, meaning that villain has no ties to Seishin anymore."

"Which also means you haven't caught him yet, have you?" Inko argued. Her concerns were valid. Izuku clenched his fist at the mention. Was it that hard to catch Neo Kumo?

"I'm not going to object, this still remains a serious matter."

"Then tell me, Aizawa-sensei, how can you guarantee for the safety of my son?"

"I cannot-"

"Mom!" Izuku couldn't bear to hear them arguing any further. "It's as you said, I would like to take part in that internship. I know you're worried, I'm scared, too, but I have to do this. I can't fall behind, I want to learn more. How can I get stronger if I just sit around and do nothing? This is my dream, I want to help people. And If I can do so despite _Dragon_ being out there," he couldn't call this man his father, "then I need to do this. Please, let me do this. I promise I won't rush into danger, I-"

"Don't promise something you can't keep, young man. I know you will rush in to save anyone in your reach, it's just who you are." There were tears in his mother's eyes. Izuku couldn't object. He felt the salty liquid sting in his eyes, too.

"You're right, I can't, but it's better to let me rush in under the surveillance of the pros than on my own, isn't it?"

* * *

Izuku groaned. This had been more tiresome than expected. The yellow light of the street lamps flickered on the ceiling as the curtains wavered in front of the open window. Even after All Might had gone, the painted eyes of his action figurines silently judged him. It was still hard to believe his mother had agreed to the internship. Izuku fetched his phone from the pocket of his pants. The bright screen showed him a new message from Iida, asking if he had arrived safely. He gave a quick answer, also informing his friend that he would take part in a selected internship. Green dots appeared only seconds after, indicating that Iida was typing a reply.

A knock on the door. "Izuku, can I come in?"

"Yeah." He got into a seating position, turning on the bedside lamp. His mother came in and took a seat beside him. She glanced at the phone in his hand. "Still waiting for that message?"

He answered with a nod.

"Must be urgent, then." Despite not asking directly, there was an accusing tone in her voice. Sighing, Izuku admitted, "There's a friend who's having a pretty rough time right now. I'm just worried."

A soft smile appeared on his mother's face. "That's my son, always looking out for his friends."

He didn't know what to say to that. Throwing one last glimpse at the screen – Iida was still typing – he put the device on the bed stand. He felt a sudden urge to talk about his worries. "You remember that friend who helped me after Onderon?"

His mother's expression grew worried. "Of course, dear."

"She's done a lot to help me get over it, because she understands it in a way no one else does. And now I just feel like I have to make up for it. I mean – it's not just that, she's my friend so I'd be there for her anyway, but it's like I'm the only one who can comprehend what she's going through…"

"That's very noble of you, Izuku." His mother reached for his hand, squeezing it lightly. It was a comforting gesture.

"She doesn't really have anyone left and has a hard time connecting with people, so I," He suddenly remembered his own offer, "I thought it would be nice if she could come over some time? I-if you don't mind."

"Izuku," there was so much heart in her voice, "your friends are always welcome here."

He felt relieved. "Thanks, mom. She'll be happy, I think."

Inko smiled on, but there was a certain teasing in her eyes. "Is she pretty?"

" _Mom! That's- That's not_ -!" After having to watch her serious expression all evening, her chuckle was music in his ears. He still flushed red, though.

"I'm just teasing. But if you ever have any trouble in that section, your mother will always be ready to give you advice." She winked playfully what caused him to blush even harder.

" _Mom!_ I'm not- I don't have time for this kind of stuff!"

"That's too bad then," she turned away, the sadness returning to her eyes while the smile remained, "you will always remember your first love."

Izuku flinched, glad she wasn't looking at him right now. Her talking about love should be something pure, not reminding him of _that man_. Not now, when they we're having an ordinary, decent conversation for once.

"I'm sorry I made you think about him."

All Might's successor winced. So, she did see him flinch. "No," he deflected, "it's okay-"

"It's clearly not." Inko faced him again. She was frowning, her posture grew straight. "It can never be forgiven what he did to you. _I_ will never forgive him."

Unable to face her while asking question that had been bothering him for some time, he looked at his mother's hand which still held his own in a loose grip. "Mom? Do you… Do you still love him?"

He could feel her hand going stiff. She remanded frozen for a moment, before drawing back. "I… I did, for a long time after he left, but now… Knowing what he did to you, how many suffered because of him… I don't recognize the man I once married."

"He was different back then?" Izuku could see his mother hurting, but he had to know. He had to know whether that wickedness had always been there, whether there was any chance he himself inherited some of Dragon's madness…

"No and yes," came the vague answer, "it's hard to tell. Love is blinding, as people say. He always had a few odd tendencies. He was very secretive about his work, but never rose any suspicion, not to me, not to any of our friends. Not that we had many, but… I never questioned it. Not the nights he disappeared, the colleagues he told me about, but I never met, not about the irregularities of his wage… I thought he worked in a risky business. I trusted him and his judgement."

"Even after he left? You believed him when he never called, never wrote a letter, not even for our birthdays? You never questioned him even though all you ever got for over ten years was our monthly aliments?!" Izuku felt the heat rush to his head. He didn't understand. Why had she been so naïve? How didn't she see it?

" _Izuku_ ," for the first time in ages, his mother looked mad, " _behave yourself!_ You don't know what you're talking about!"

"But-!"

" _No buts!_ You don't remember your father. You don't remember how much he loved us. He never cried in all the time I knew him, except the night he left. He cried as he cradled you in his arms, he promised me to return as soon as his work would allow it, if I know anything about that man, it's that his love for us was real. Back then, at least." The last sentence was added in a whisper, making Izuku feel even more remorse after his little blowup. Tears began clouding his vision.

"I'm so sorry, mom, I didn't-"

"I know, honey, I know." She cupped his cheek, tears streaming down her own face. Izuku flung his arms around her neck, burring his face into her shoulder, crying like he used to when he was still small.

"It's okay, Izuku, we're going to be okay. Not now, not soon, but some day, we will be."

* * *

The next day went in a blur. On Sunday, Hikari woke shortly before noon thanks to weird aches in her body. Her skin itched like after a heavy sunburn, all scratching didn't help. Neither did the showers or lotions. She hid the red marks her nails left under a hoodie despite the temperatures raising enough to wear short-sleeved-shirts again.

She only left her room when necessary. Mostly to get the leftover food when everyone else was either out or in bed. She ran into a few classmates, all asking her if she felt any better. It took a lot of self-control not to fall into manic laughter. She had been wearing the same clothes for the past few days, her hair was unkempt, her complexion pale and her blood-shot eyes rimmed by dark circles. Of course, she wasn't fine, but she didn't want them to worry either.

By the late Sunday afternoon, the physical pain became almost unbearable. She was going to explode. Hikari crushed a pillow between her stomach and knees, curled up in a ball. A part of her knew she needed to see Recovery Girl, but she couldn't bring herself to ask anyone for help. She turned off her phone Friday night before Neko usually called, not ready to talk, not caring that her friend would tear all of U.A. apart if she didn't answer soon. Tsuyu knocked on her door once, but she sent the frog girl away. She gave up counting how many times Momo tried to talk to her. The more she rejected help, the deeper she fell into the sheer bottomless hole that dreaded to consume her. Why was she like this? Were the others mad at her for acting this way? The further she ran from the confrontation, the bigger her fear grew. It was a vicious cycle, and she was unable to break through.

Something plopped. It was a wet sound, strangely familiar. Hikari felt liquid running down the back of her hand. As she lifted her head only so little, her eyes focused on a red splotch. A streak ran across her skin, growing longer and longer, until a single drop of blood fell on her mattress.

The observation evoke interest rather than shock. She watched the streak turning a dark brown in the dim light passing through the curtains. Before the blood completely dried, another plop resonated from her arm. This time, she felt a sting, strong enough to make her wince. She couldn't see it through the fabric, but she felt the hot liquid running down her upper arm. A red spot began to form on her sleeve, indicating it was more than just a single drop this time. She watched the stain grow bigger, when her brain finally became alive again.

Her skin was ripping apart. She wasn't reacting to the injuries at first because they brought relief - as if whatever was stretching her skin tried to break through. The pieces began to align. At the latest when a tiny golden cloud erupted from her knee, she knew. It was her quirk. Her quirk was going berserk.

Suddenly seized by panic, Hikari threw the pillow away. She jumped to her weak knees, staggering towards the door. Sweat accumulated on her front. Her feet wouldn't obey her commands anymore, she needed to support herself on the wall to not fall over. Her fingers were icy, her breaths grew shallow. She could feel more patches of skin rip as she stumbled down the stairs. The former Seishin students didn't even realize there were other people right in front of her until she crashed into one of them.

"Hikari-chan? Are you okay?" _Ochako._ She sounded worried. But Hikari had no time to waste. If this was anything like the time this happened when she was still a child, she needed to get as far away from people as possible. Otherwise, they could get hurt.

A pink hand - Mina - tried to get hold of her, but Hikari was incredibly agile thanks to her training with Aizawa. She sidestepped the girls, there were at least two more people, and rushed down to the ground floor. More classmates were down there, more people she left behind without a word. She almost made it to the front door when someone finally got hold of her. A tail flashed. _Ojiro?_

"Shi-Shikogane?"

Hikari tried to get free when a big part of her left shin burst. She sunk to the floor, whimpering. She wouldn't make it in time, she needed-

"Aizawa-sensei" she cried, "please get Aizawa-sensei…!" He was her only chance. Something moved behind Ojiro, who it was Hikari didn't know, she didn't care, she just needed Aizawa to stop her quirk from exploding and hurting everyone around her-

The next minutes, seconds, she lost all sense of time, went by in a daze. Everything hurt, she tried to hold back as much as possible which made the pain even worse. Someone was talking at her, but it drowned in her suffering, she feared it would be too late when finally, a weight was lifted off her shoulders. The pain was still there, but something seemed to keep her quirk at bay. Hikari found the glowing eyes of her homeroom teacher. His hand was on her shoulder. It seemed he had been talking to her before, but only now she was able to put meaning to his words.

"Shikogane," he urged, realizing she was finally listening, "your quirk is overloading."

As if she didn't know that already.

"I can't hold it back forever. When I'm letting go, you'll need to control it yourself. I know you can emit those particles without hurting yourself, so _do it_. You can let them loose, nothing will happen, I promise, but you have to try and not hurt yourself at any cost, do you understand?"

She slowly nodded. Something got stuck in her right lashes. More blood. She blinked it away, internalising Aizawa's words.

"I'm letting go in three, two, one…"

The pressure was back in an instant. She hitched a breath, unable to uphold any ordinary body functions. _Just let them out, don't hurt yourself, don't hurt yourself,_ she repeated the mantra. A wave of pain told her that she partially failed, but she wasn't done yet. She couldn't let her friends get hurt.

"Breathe," the teacher ordered. She tried. She tried her best letting go of everything she was holding back but carefully, letting it flow in soft waves instead of small explosions. She imagined an ocean, calm, relaxed, the rhythmic rushing of the see, until darkness consumed her.

She lifted her eyelids to the low murmuring for two persons. The cold brightness of the lamps informed her that she was inside, but not in her room. There was a smell of disinfectant. She blinked the sleep away, clearly hearing Aizawa-sensei and Recovery Girl discussion a matter. _Her_ matter.

"Hello there, dear. Welcome back to the land of the living."

Hikari grimaced, she wasn't particularly enjoying the comment.

"How are you feeling?"

Sick of the question, she didn't answer. How was she supposed to feel?

"You must be exhausted. I healed the bigger bruises, but your body was very weak to begin with. Did you eat well the past few days?"

They all knew the answer. Upon not receiving an answer once more, the school nurse nodded, her expression flat. She took a few notes. Aizawa watched without commenting.

"Well, then. Do you know what happened?"

"My quirk overloaded."

"Has is happened before?"

"Yes," Hikari hesitated, "once, when I was little. The first time it appeared."

The authorities had never been informed about it, therefore U.A. didn't know. Her mother had done her best to keep her having a quirk under wrap, after all.

"Was that the only time?" Recovery Girl didn't look up from her notes. She was still scribbling furiously. Hikari eyed her, too tired to move from her lying position.

"Yes."

"Do you have any idea why? Were there any symptoms?"

She should have known. It was the same as back then, how did Hikari not recognize the feeling? Something as traumatic as this couldn't be that easily forgotten. She tried to look back at what happened the past few days, but it was all a blur.

"I think it started with a strange stinging Friday night. Then it got worse, my skin started to itch, and I felt like something inside was stretching-"

"And you didn't think of telling anybody?" Aizawa-sensei spoke up for the first time. His tone was accusing. Way to make her feel better. Recovery Girl's head finally rose. "Aizawa, _please_." She faced Hikari again who ignored her teacher by telling, "I guess it's because I didn't use my quirk at all the past few days. I trained so hard to be able to produce as many particles as possible that my body is used to doing so, even if I don't order it to." It was all she could do, analyse the situation, trying not to think about what could have happened.

"That could very well be possible. Aizawa told me you called for him and tried to get away from your classmates. Any reason why?"

Hikari closed her eyes. She didn't want to think about it. She didn't want to see it in front of her inner eye again. "The first time it happened… I-it came from my back, just like my mom and my brother's quirk, I only learnt how to produce it from other body parts later… My dad was there, and some other people, and when the particles exploded… They didn't just rip my back apart, they also hurt the people around me."

There it was. The picture of her dad with his arm hanging limp from his side, bloody, broken. A doctor was lying on the ground, unconscious. There was blood, her blood, splattered over the wall, it was the last thing she saw before she passed out. Before she almost died. The reason her mother registered her as quirkless and forbid her from ever using her quirk again. The time her brother started disliking her, the time she got her first big scar.

"I see," Recovery Girl brought her back to reality, "there's really only one thing I can prescribe you with. You need to use your quirk daily, so I will authorise you to do even the most mundane things with it to keep this from happening again."

Could be worse. Aizawa moved in his chair, folding his arms in front of his chest. "I was going to let you go off without extra classes tomorrow, but that seems like a rather stupid thing now."

"Will you have Shinsou-kun beat me up again?" Oh, snap. Hikari's loose tongue had said too much. She stared at her homeroom teacher and mentor, terrified. His expression gave off a sense of annoyance.

"You will be attending extra classes as usual. Shinsou Hitoshi will join you every Tuesday and Thursday for sparing. And to remind you, your first remedial class will take place this Wednesday evening." More to look forward to. She couldn't even get out of bed; how should she attend all these additional classes?

"If you do so, the principal has agreed to take up your request."

She only ever had submitted one request, could that mean…? The girl startled up, staring at her teacher in shock. "Does that mean…?"

"Seishin Academy still refuses to agree to our terms, but if you attend all your classes and perform well, you be allowed to visit town, under surveillance of course, and who knows who you might run into…"

The hint was there. If she was allowed to go out, and _casually_ told Neko _to be at a certain place on a certain time_ … There was no need for her stupid plan to sneak off campus. No need to risk Neko's safety. They would be protected by the U.A. staff, professional heroes even her brother would stand no chance against.

It was all the motivation she needed.

"I'll do my best, sensei."


	27. symbols

**Chapter 27: Symbols**

Izuku could barely refrain from fidgeting with his tie. Togata-senpai was at his side, cheerfully waving at two passing kids as he exited the car. The older teen didn't ask why exactly they couldn't come here by public transport, neither why there was a pro hero in civilian clothes driving. Izuku was grateful.

It was a bright day, hot for the season. Togata had informed him plenty about what to do and what not to do in front of Sir Nighteye, but he still didn't feel like he was up to the task. Getting a laugh out of the man didn't sound like much. Judging by his appearance in the media though, it looked less and less possible.

* * *

Hikari stood in front of her teacher, waiting for him to announce the goal of today's extra class. Her back felt cold. She didn't have the heart to wear the leather jacket over her suit, not when it constantly reminded her of Divination, or rather, his death.

"Why are you here?" Aizawa's voice caught her off guard. She blinked in confusion, not understanding where he came from.

"Excuse me?"

"A simple question," he crossed his arms in front of his chest, "why are you at U.A.?"

 _Because it's the only place that agreed to take me in,_ was Hikari's first thought. But it felt wrong to say it out loud, it definitely wasn't what her teacher wanted to hear. As she took her time and didn't respond, the pro hero sighed. "Think about it. I'll ask you after class again."

Ordered to work on increasing the control over her particles, the purple haired girl was instructed to produce a stream from a certain body part, then use it to lift and resituate objects of different weight and sizes. Easier said than done. She never realized how disproportional the actual weight of the objects and the weight she felt through her quirk were. In addition to that, her mind constantly drifted off, interrupting her focus and causing her to lose control. Aizawa always correctly identify the situation and erased her quirk whenever necessary. She expected him to scold her, but he set on staring at her in displeasure.

It wasn't fair. It was his fault for making her think about such an existential question during the exercise. Really, why was she here if not because she didn't have any other place to go? Placing a metal rod on top of a vase she began asking herself.

 _Why am I here? What do I even do here?_

Studying to become a hero? What kind of hero would she even be? Did she want to be a hero at all? She certainly didn't want to be a villain, but life as a mediocre, anonymous person wandering the streets sounded fine, too.

Who was she kidding? She would never be ordinary. Not with her background and her quirk. No one wanted to employ the daughter or sister of a villain. Her own achievements didn't matter. And there were hundreds, maybe thousands of people in a similar situation on this planet, and they were all suffering the consequences of the actions of their families. She would just become one of the insufferably pitied faces who disappeared without leaving a trace.

Hikari dropped the tennis balls she was holding. She didn't want that. She didn't want to live the rest of her life alone in her misery.

Aizawa called her name and she grabbed the ball again, lifting it up and tossing it into a nearby bucket. She didn't want to turn out a lost cause. If there was even the smallest chance she could change that, she could become something _, anything,_ wouldn't she take it? She never wanted to be a hero, but at least that would enable her to make something out of her life.

The conversation she had with All Might after Onderon came to her mind. Hadn't they been discussing something similar?

" _Shikogane_ ," Aizawa-sensei sharply demanded her attention. Hikari lifted the two buckets full of tennis balls and hung them on each side of the rod balancing on the vase.

All Might had told her that it was up to her whether she managed to change things or not, but she would be offered the tools to do so. If she became a hero, she could show people like her that they could make something out of their lives. It had never been her intention to become some sort of figure, but maybe she would. She could show the world that heritage didn't matter. She could help people like her, children abandoned and long forgotten by the heroes and authorities. No one cared if the son of a villain wanted to be with his family. No one cared how much he was suffering, about the constant abuse he lived through, how he might not ever have a chance at living a normal, carefree life…

A cold hand was placed on her shoulder. Hikari gave a jerk, not having noticed Aizawa walking up to her.

"Sensei?"

"You zoned out. I tried to call you, but you didn't react."

Feeling the sudden urge to confide in him, the girl blurted out, "I… I want to be a symbol. I'm here so I can show everyone that people like me are worth as much- and I want to show people like me that they can make something out of their life. I want to be there to save them when no one else will."

Aizawa looked… Surprised, to say the least. Whatever he had been expecting, if he expected anything at all, it wasn't this. Still, his expression taken aback expression quickly turned into a creepy grin. "Don't you think you're taking on too much? Becoming a _symbol_ of all things?"

She spouted a _tch-_ sound, something uncharacteristic of her, strange yet exciting. Her chest was bloating, but not in an uncomfortable way. Her muscles burned in anticipation. She wanted to prove to her teacher, here and now, that she could become a force to be reckoned with, that she wouldn't let the deaths of the heroes who protected them in Onderon be in vain, that one day, she would be strong enough to beat her brother and make him pay for all he had done.

The spark was lit. Still grinning Aizawa determined, "Playtime is over. We're doing some additional training today. Follow me."

* * *

" _ **You shouldn't have One For All**_."

The flashes of excessive energy began to fade.

" _ **There is someone much more worthy of One For All.**_ "

It was as if the shock turned off his quirk.

" _ **I do not acknowledge you in the slightest.**_ "

He had gone over every possible scenario, but none had hurt as much as this one. It was a stab right through the heart, with the attacker turning the blade and drawing back to inflict as much damage as possible. He had prepared himself for the whole "your father is one of the most dangerous villains in Japan"-discussion, the "you break your bones all the time, I saw you at the sports festival", and many other reasons, but not for this. All Might could have at least warned him that Sir Nighteye knew about One For All and Izuku inheriting it. Now that the U.A. student faced Nighteye, his mentor's reaction to the internship didn't look as obscure anymore.

Sir Nighteye glared at him, surrounded by an aura of disfavour. He had it made clear that he didn't want Izuku here. Why he even offered this fake chance by sending Togata and his sidekick outside while giving Izuku three minutes to change his mind, the teenager couldn't comprehend.

"Are you… Mocking me, Sir?" The initial shock was replaced by acrimony. All Might had made his choice. He said he believed in Izuku, told him he could become a hero. Izuku couldn't let his mentor down. He would get Nighteye to agree.

"No manners, I see. Not a surprise, judging by your heritage." There it was. The proof Sir Nighteye, behind his glasses, knew exactly who Izuku's father was. Calmer than he thought possible, Izuku regained his posture. He felt the comfortable warmth of One For All spreading through his body. Green flashes surrounded him.

"If you think provoking me will get me to stop," he resumed his fighting stance, "this will turn out to be a disappointment!" He lashed out, again, and again. Hopping between the walls, reaching for that damn stamp that would seal the contract, to no avail. Sir Nighteye didn't move his feet. He leaned in one direction, then the other, drew his hand back or held it upwards. No matter from which angle Izuku attacked, Nighteye always seemed to know exactly where he was coming from.

A single hit in the neck sent the teenager crashing into the floor.

"The longer this goes on," Nighteye dusted his suit, "the more convinced I become of your _**in**_ convenience."

The little pause was enough for Izuku. He got back onto his feed, wiped the blood from under his nose. He wasn't done yet. "I won't give up! All Might chose me, and I will do everything in my power to prove him right! I will go beyond-"

"Plus Ultra? Are you still mocking All Might, the one hero you claim to admire so much?"

" _Mocking?!_ " Izuku repeated in disbelief. "I would never, ever-" Nighteye was still trying to provoke him. And his comments… He was worshipping All Might the same way Izuku did.

" _ **Mirio Togata should have been the one to inherit One for All."**_

Izuku froze.

"He already is a symbol in many ways. People look up to him, he's a point of direction to them. He isn't considered the closest to the future symbol of peace for nothing."

That was it. That was the reason Nighteye had no intention of accepting Izuku. The Pro had selected Mirio as a successor, trained him and probably proposed the idea to All Might who declined it because he already gave his quirk to Izuku. Was that also the reason the two pros had fallen out with each other? Did he cause this conflict?

"Do you see now?" Sir Nighteye demanded his attention, "You were never meant to-"

"But he chose _me_. And I will **not** disappoint him." Izuku charged again. Screw Nighteye and his opinion. "You're right, Togata-senpai is amazing," he hauled a chair at the pro hero, "and he will make an even more amazing hero!"

Nighteye sidestepped, avoiding Izuku's attack.

"He's amazing enough that he can do so even without One for All!" There was the tiniest bit of hesitation visible in Nighteye's movements.

"I acknowledge his hard work, his hardship and his power," Izuku repelled himself from the ceiling, "and I acknowledge him as a rival still superior to me!"

Again, Nighteye had no trouble foreseeing where the U.A. student came from and dodged.

"But All Might has made his choice. I will never give up, not until I can surpass his wildest expectations! I will become the greatest hero, and I won't stop because of people like you or Dragon! I will become the symbol he meant for me to be!"

Nighteye pushed against Izuku's shin, just enough for the boy to lose his balance. He stumbled, reached out with his hand, but drew back at the last second. He slipped and crashed into the floor. Even Sir Nighteye had a hard time to mask his confusion. The pro hero recovered quickly. "What is this? Already giving up? You could have prevented that fall."

"I," Izuku rubbed his throbbing front, "the collectibles..."

Nighteye's eyes widened. He turned to look at the valuable limited-edition merchandise on the sideboard the teenage boy had almost yanked from their place. Before either of them could react, the door was forced open.

"I'm sorry for the interruption," Togata exclaimed, "we heard quite the commotion and were worried."

It was over. Whatever chance Sir Nighteye had been willing to give him in the end, it was gone. Izuku failed. He didn't get the internship. The hero didn't acknowledge him, he disappointed All Might-

"He's hired."

Izuku didn't believe his ears. He was still half lying on the ground as Nighteye dropped the stamp approving of the internship in his hands. His stare was still cold as he locked eyes with Izuku and whispered, "I still don't acknowledge you, and I intend to show you exactly _why_ during this internship. It will prove why Togata would have been a superior successor."

That was Izuku's chance. He couldn't fret. Determination set on his face as he defied, "We'll see. I'm looking forward to working with you, _Sir_."


	28. true intentions

**Chapter 28: true intentions**

Izuku took a few deep breaths. He felt free. He never thought he'd miss the street noise, the busy people crowding the pavement, the endless sensations stimulating his brain. He was out again. Out of U.A., back on the street. Togata-senpai was at his side, smiling.

A bit of unease was tingling in Izuku's finger tips, but he decided to ignore it. They split up from Sir Nighteye and Bubblegirl only a few minutes ago. Might and his mother wouldn't be happy hearing he went out patrolling on the street on his first day of the internship, despite being told he wouldn't do so unless necessary.

"Smile and wave when they look at you, the kids love that," Togata tipped him off. Izuku complied, although his smile looked forced. The excitement added a bit of a skip to his gait.

Of course, it didn't go well. Who was he to expect getting through one freaking day without any major incident? Never would he have thought he'd be staring into the face of the one man - aside from his father - Sir Nighteye had warned him about.

It all started with something crashing into his leg. He found a silver-white shock of hair at his side, tiny arms wrapped themselves around his hip. Reflexively he hunched up, letting the small figure he now identified as a little girl hold on to him. It took only few seconds to realize she wasn't just keen on a hug, but most likely grabbing on to him in fear for her life. He protectively wrapped his arms around her, when a voice spoke from the nearby ally, "My apologies, hero. My daughter surely didn't mean to startle you."

First, a beak came into view. It turned out to be a mask, covering the lower half of a cold-eyed man. A thick, furry collar framed his head, and he was wearing surgical gloves, not an everyday sight. The beak was enough, but after taking in his full appearance, there was no doubt; Tis man was Chisaki, the Leader of the Eight Precepts of Death, the Yakuza gang playing the most important role in Sir Nighteye's ongoing investigations.

That man wasn't supposed to be here. Izuku and Togata had purposely covered the area with the least chance of running into anything or anyone unusual. It was just Izuku's luck.

The little girl made itself small, almost disappearing in his arms.

"My daughter sometimes hurts herself, she's a real troublemaker. But don't be worried, she'll be treated accordingly."

 _Accordingly_. What did that even mean? What did Chisaki mean he _treated_ the little girl?

There was a slap on the back of Izuku's head. His own mask was pulled over his face as Togata reached his side.

"No, we should be apologizing, Sir!" Togata-senpai tuned in. After his initial shock, Izuku realized; without his mask on, Chisaki probably noticed his startled expression. Rookie mistake. He couldn't let the villain get suspicious, they weren't supposed to know him.

Izuku watched as Togata very skilfully talked himself out of the situation. The girl still clung to him, frozen in fear.

"Now, then, we've got to go! We're still little baby chicks, after all!" Togata waved and walked away.

Izuku couldn't believe it. How could he do that?! They couldn't leave this frightened girl behind, not in the hands of a villain, not when he knew exactly what villains were willing to do to their own family…!

Togata's hands landed on his shoulders.

"Let's get going." His voice was soft and friendly, but by the way his nails dug into Izuku's shoulders, it left no room for argument. But Izuku couldn't do it. He just couldn't. Pictures of arms littered with scars flashed before his inner eye, the prospect of what the little girl had to endure, what could happen to her if no one helped her…

"I'm sorry, but your daughter seems frightened," he heard his own voice say.

Chisaki sighed. He shrugged and turned his back to them. "Alright, heroes, I'll tell you about it. But it's a bit embarrassing. Why won't you follow me this way…?"

Togata-senpai desperately tried to talk his way out again, without success. The two U.A. students had no choice but to follow the villain into the alley, Izuku had to carry the little girl since she refused to let go of him. Chisaki stopped without another word and began taking one of his gloves of. Immediately, Izuku sensed the danger. Before he could react, the girl sprung from his arms, passed Chisaki and sprinted further into the dark alleyway.

"Done with your little tantrum, Eri?" he scolded the girl. They could almost feel the Yakuza grin under his beaked mask. "I'm sorry heroes, but she's always like this. Thanks for your time, I'm sorry for causing such a scene. And good luck with your hero work."

Paralyzed by the danger filling the air, Izuku couldn't move. Only as the villain and girl disappeared in the shadows, he was able to sprint after them. But Togata-senpai held him back just in time.

"Don't chase them. You noticed he was about to kill us, didn't you?"

He did.

"There's nothing we can do right now. Let's respect Sir's orders and go back. We need to inform him about this, whatever that just was."

All of this didn't feel real. They moved out of the alley, back to the rendezvous point.

* * *

"How's it going?"

Neko earned a grunt from her partner. Yotsune didn't turn, not even bat an eye. He stared at the screen in front of him, completely focussed. After working with him for the past few months, the girl had grown to seeing him like this. By now, she avoided the waste littering the floor with ease and even had a chair designated to her at his desk.

"You need to get a better camera. It's too dark, there's nothing I can do about the pictures."

"Duly noted." Neko turned on the desk lamp, much to Yotsune's dismay, and went over the list in her hands again. Deep down, she knew she was right, but not ready to accept it. Seeing her friend finally backing away from the screen, she spoke, "I know these names. They're all on our list of people still suspected of having a quirk."

"And they've repeatedly been seen hanging around in the basement?"

"Not just hanging around," she rubbed her throbbing front, "but literally disappearing for a few hours and returning with no valid excuse."

"So, they're really doing it, huh?" Yotsune closed a window on his screen, only to open three new ones. Neko watched him work, not really understanding what he was doing. But that was the exact reason she needed him.

"Heard anything new about the little girl?" the boy changed the subject. It woke a painful ache in Neko's chest.

"No, not a thing. Which only makes me feel like we're on to something. Something big, maybe too big for us to handle. We're talking about the effective removal of quirks here, this… This could change the world. End society as we know it." She desperately wished her best friend was still here. Yotsune was a pervert, but very useful, and she even grew to like him over the past few months, in a friendly way, obviously. But nothing could fill the void Hikari's absence left in her life. There was no one left she could discuss this matter with, no one to share her real opinions on the topic.

A sudden flash of insight. According to what Hikari said, the two of them would be able to meet soon. Even if this wasn't something they could discuss in broad daylight, especially not when hero watchdogs ensuring their safety were around, he had to let her know. And she knew how. Neko nudged Yotsune in the ribs.

"Hey! What was that for?!"

"I need an USB drive with all the data we've collected so far."

Her technically adept friend opened his mouth in shock. "Are you crazy?! What If someone finds it?! We'll be screwed, throwing us out will be the best-case scenario-"

"Listen," she took the list of names in front of her and tore it into tiny pieces, "we can't do this on our own. I'll get it to Hikari, she'll help us decide."

Yotsune grunted again. Of course, he would disapprove of the idea.

"She's with the heroes now. She's gonna show them and they'll destroy everything we've built here!"

"First of all, I dislike heroes as much as you do," Neko fetched a lighter from the top drawer of the desk, then a candle lying behind one of the three screens, "but I know Hikari. She won't show them if I tell her not to, not unless she thinks it's the only option."

Yotsune tore a face, not one bit more convinced. Still, he only struck a single, snarky comment, "Don't know about that, so much time huddled together with heroes changes people. But hey, I'm just the dumb computer guy. I wouldn't know what either of you are thinking, especially not after she ignored you for almost four days. But have it your way, I'll prepare the drive, even if it drives _us_ into our _graves_."

Silence followed as Neko began burning the remnants of the list over the small candle fire.

* * *

Jogging?

Izuku sped up. He power-ran across the campus until he spotted familiar blonde hair on a lanky silhouette. "All Might!"

"Young Midoriya? Surprised to see me here?" His mentor smiled until he noticed that Izuku wasn't returning the gesture. "What's wrong?"

He didn't get an answer right away. Izuku jogged alongside his teacher for a moment before finding the right words, "Why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you tell me Nighteye knew about One for All? Why didn't you tell me about Togata-senpai…?"

Silence stretched between them. It seemed neither of them really wanted to have this conversation, but they desperately needed to.

"I didn't think it would matter."

" _You didn't think it would matter_?! How could you think that?! Of course, it does! Did you expect me to never run into either of them?! I just- What else aren't you telling me? You passed down One for All to me without letting me know the truth behind it, now this? Are you expecting me to just quietly accept everything you throw at me?!"

Izuku was panting, but the exhausting wasn't physical.

"I don't know what it is you really want, All Might! What is your plan? What do you want from me? What else are you hiding? I'm not just a fan anymore, you made me your successor! How can I become what I have to if you don't tell me anything?"

Frustration, anger. Izuku felt tears clouding his vision, but he didn't let them fall. He wanted answers. All Might didn't spare him a glance. The man jogged on, taking his time until revealing, "I figured telling you would only make things harder. I didn't want to put you through that much."

"I've already been through enough. Whatever it is, I can deal with it! Getting to know the truth about my father didn't change how I feel, what I want to achieve. Whatever your intentions are, I won't stray from my path! Just… Please, please tell me." Izuku stood his ground. He wouldn't leave until his mentor told him the truth.

"You might regret it," the previous symbol of peace warned him. He was breathing heavily, not used to work out anymore.

"I will certainly not. I'm ready."

Despite being out of breath, All Might went on, not letting Izuku catch up to him.

"After my first battle against All for One six years ago… Nighteye and I fell out. He wanted me to quit when I got injured, but I refused. He confronted me about my future, he saw my demise, but I didn't listen. Ever since that day we went our separate ways. Principal Nedzu offered me a job here at U.A. to find a successor, and later recommended young Togata to me, but I had already chosen you… I didn't want you to live with this burden. You were my fan, after all."

Izuku stopped. "He saw your… Are you…? All Might, are you… Going to… _**Die**_?"

All Might went on, completely ignoring the realization hitting Izuku, "I contacted Nighteye the night I chose you, he wasn't exactly happy with my choice. We only drifted further apart."

" _You're going to die."_

"Young Midoriya, listen-"

" _When_ ," tears stung again, "Nighteye used his foresight, didn't he? When…?"

All Might finally came to a halt but didn't look at him. Not since their greeting. He clenched his fist, announcing in a whisper, "He gave me six or seven years."

Which meant All Might was going to die this or next year. It couldn't be. Horror crept up Izuku's body, causing his thoughts to go wild, his knees to shake, his world to crumble.

"This can't be, you can't… You- you need to live! We made a promise, remember? All Might, you need to live, you need to live to see the moment I'll tell the world that I am here, don't you? You promised… You can't… I can't do this without you…"

"Young Midoriya, I accepted my fate the moment Nighteye told me. I lived the life I yearned for. I became the symbol I promised to become. Even at the Kamino incident, I was ready to let go."

"No…" But Izuku wasn't. He couldn't accept it. He didn't want to.

"But," there was a tiny spark in All Might's voice. At last he turned to face Izuku, a smile on his lips. "There you were. You, a timid, quirkless boy who day after day, surpassed my wildest expectations. I saw you, and I knew I had to live on. If you could do it, I had to be there to see it. I promised your mother to 'live on and protect and nurture' you, and I will fulfil my promise. You have changed me, young Midoriya. I will not give up, I won't let go."

Smoke rose from All Might's twiggy figure, for a moment he muscled up. Just for a second, he rose to his earlier height and Izuku saw the hero he had worshipped all his life.

"With this hand of mine, I will twist fate into whatever shape I like!"

A wild array of emotions flooded through Izuku's systems. Before he knew it, he rose his own fist, blinking away the tears, and announced with all the force he had left, "No matter what happens, I will twist that fate with you!"

* * *

" _One month after the disaster accurately renamed the 'Tragedy of Onderon' clean-up operations are still ongoing," the horned news reporter announced. "The number of casualties is still rising. What's even more concerning is the disappearance of the newly labelled supervillain 'Dragon'. He completely vanished after the incident, with no leads to follow. What do you have to say to this, Matsuda-san?"_

 _The camera zoomed out, revealing a plain man in a dark grey suit sitting beside a reporter. He looked calm as he assured the audience, "The Public Safety Commission is doing everything they can to deal with the aftermath. Some of Japan's most renowned Heroes and investigators are working on the case. It will only be a matter of time until we catch him. And I assure you, what happened in Onderon will never happen again."_

 _The news reporter nodded and readjusted his glasses. "Thank you, Matsuda-san, we're counting on the Commission. On another note, how are you dealing with the general distrust spreading throughout the hero society?"_

" _Distrust is a strong word. There is a tentativeness, we cannot deny that, but the hero society is still strong, and this tragedy has only made us stronger."_

" _Then how are you planning to make up for the losses within the hero community? What can you say us about the rising crime rates all over the country?"_

 _The plain man didn't hesitate. "There is a new generation of heroes coming, and I dare to believe they will be even stronger than our current one. They are ambitious and carry all our hopes and dreams on their shoulders. And," he quickly added after almost being cut off by the reporter, "although you are right, the number of outlaws labelling themselves villains is rising, we are prepared. It had to be expected after All Might's retirement. While their numbers are growing exponentially, their power is not. Most of these newly registered crimes are identified as minor delicts like shoplifting. It's nothing we can't handle with our already existing forces. And with the right precautions, even those cases will be prevented in the future."_

" _Thank you for your most inspiring words, Matsuda-san. We place our trust in you and the Commission."_

 _The two men got to their feet and bowed. The camera zoomed in on the news reporter again. "We will be back after a short break."_

* * *

They were staring at each other, neither backing down. Tension filled the space between them. Unable to bear the awkward silence any longer, Hikari bowed.

"I'm sorry for last week. My actions were inappropriate. I hope you can accept this apology and we can set our differences aside to resume our training."

A sigh came from the boy in front. Shinsou Hitoshi scratched the back of his head. He was visibly just as uncomfortable as her with the situation. After Hikari rose back to her height he replied with a small bow of his own.

"I have to apologize as well. I let my emotions take the upper hand."

A heavy weight was lifted of Hikari's shoulders. She was finally able to breathe again. Just a few minutes ago, Aizawa-sensei had informed her about some of Shinsou's motives. She knew now that he was troubled by his quirk, since it was often labelled as being perfect for villainy. Also, it wasn't physical, and the boy had to make up for it by training twice as hard as everyone else. What exactly his quirk was, though, Aizawa-sensei didn't say, but it was enough for her to get a general understanding of the general department student's motivation. Hikari then wondered what her homeroom teacher had told Shinsou about her. Knowing Aizawa, it had to be as vague as the info he gave her about the boy.

Pushing her thoughts to the back of her head, she offered Shinsou a hand, "Starting over?"

He eyed it dismissively. "I'm not here to make friends."

So, he was one of _those_ guys. Not much unlike her. The girl didn't retract her hand. She simply shrugged. "I wasn't talking about becoming besties. Sparring partners is fine. Or competitors, if you like, I really don't care."

One of the tired looking boy's eyebrows rose. Perplexed, he seemed to weight his options before giving in, but still not taking her hand, "Fine. This stays professional."

Hikari couldn't help but grin. She wasn't expecting anything else. "Perfect."

She finally retracted her hand and settled on her side of the matt while Aizawa, seemingly unmoved by the scene, ordered, "Now that things are settled, begin."

Both U.A. students got into position.

* * *

Her calves were burning. Although their sparring had been professional, everything hurt, and she could name at least six places that were going to bruise over the next few hours. The only visible one would luckily be hidden by her bangs. She rubbed her arms on her way, when she noticed someone standing in front of her room, almost as if they were waiting.

She carefully approached, "Momo? Is there something you need?"

The creation hero set on her friendly smile, but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Hikari had a bad feeling about this.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to take you by surprise. There was just something Iida-san and I would like to talk to you about."

The smile Hikari had tried to evoke disappeared in an instant. She remembered Midoriya's words. _They knew._ Not any details, but _they knew._


	29. a game of truths

**Chapter 29: a game of truths**

She wiped the cold sweat off her palms. With shaking hands, Hikari gestured Momo and Iida to take a seat on her bed and plopped down on her desk chair. She knew what this was about. The anticipation made it hard to breath.

"Thank you," Momo elegantly sat down at the edge of the bed, taking in the room around her. "I'm sorry if this seems-"

"Please get straight to the point," Hikari interrupted. The faster this was over and done, the better. Momo and Iida exchanged a glance, before class president spoke, "Shikogane-san, we know about your parentage. Admittedly, not much, but enough to be concerned."

Hikari bit her lower lip.

"Your recent behaviour had many of us worried. While I understand that it must be hard for you, you witnessed how everyone dealt with Midoriya's revelation. We are your classmates, your friends, and I'm sure everyone will support you. We don't understand why you are making such a big secret out of-"

"Yes, _you don't understand_." She was bitter, unable to look Iida in the eyes. "I'm not like Midoriya. I didn't just find out about them by accident. I've lived with them, I watched them do all those horrible things… How could anyone still believe me, trust me, if they knew I stood by and did nothing while people died? We're supposed to become heroes. How can I be a hero _like that_?" Tears stung in her eyes, her nails dug into her knees. The pain was the only thing preventing the tears from falling.

There was silence. A bone breaking, suffocating stillness. The tension dreaded to rip her apart any second, when Momo finally spoke, "They _?_ "

She and Iida really didn't know anything concrete, did they?

"My mother and brother. My father died years ago."

Another silence followed. Forcing herself to lift her chin, Hikari found Iida staring at her, expression blank, features frozen. Momo's eyebrows were drawn together in a frown, her lips thin. There was no way telling what they were thinking.

"The villain you know as Neo Kumo is my brother," she admitted. If they knew that much, there was no reason to withhold anything else. They would ask about it later on anyway. "My mother was a villain called Kumo, but she went underground after I escaped them. I've lived with them for almost four years after they became villains. But I couldn't follow their path, so my brother, he… He hurt me. Until I couldn't bear it anymore and ran away."

Momo's face had turned incredible pale. She hid the lower part of her face behind her hands, while Iida…

"Neo Kumo is the villain who beat those five heroes last week, critically injuring two of them?"

"Yes."

He visibly forced his expression to stay bland. Momo turned to him, looking upset at the question. "Ii-Iida-san!"

"It's fine, Momo. You came for answers. Ask whatever you want, I'll tell you the truth."

"You said half of your scars are from your quirk," the class president continued, "is the other half from your brother?"

"Yes. He still hates me. He was the one who attacked me at Seishin," Hikari added, turning to Momo. The other girl's eyes widened. Iida carried on with the interrogation, "Are you planning to tell the rest of the class?"

"I..." She didn't want to.

"I will not lie, they might not be as acceptant with you as they were with Midoriya. But," his expression softened the tiniest bit, "if you work hard to gain their trust, I'm sure the class will be ready to accept you." This was probably the closest she would get to a pep talk.

Finally moving her hands off her mouth, Momo declared, "I cannot imagine how all of this must feel for you, but I don't think it's right to judge someone by their heritage. You seem like a good person. Kyouka and I really like having you with us. And now, I think I do have a better understanding of your actions, so, if you ever feel uncomfortable or bothered by something happening, you can always come to us."

Was she… Was she telling Hikari that they accepted her? That even after getting to know all this, they would still stay friends?

"I am seeing things the same way as Yaoyorozu-san," Iida agreed, "while I cannot understand where you come from and what you do, I believe you have the same right to be here as anyone else. All of us have done things that we regret," something unusual darted over his features. Was it regret? "No one can blame you for what you did as a child. If you really mean to be a better person and do your best, you will always have a seat at our table."

It felt surreal. They took it so much better than she could have ever hoped. Hikari had a hard time supressing her tears. She leaned down, bowing as low as her position allowed.

"T-thank you… I… This… Thank you."

* * *

She sat in the dark, trying to focus on the cartoon on her phone, with little to no success. After lying in bed for two hours but not being able to sleep, she decided to get comfortable on the couch of the common area. As far away from her classmates as possible, while still staying in the dorm. She didn't know what to say once would she face Momo and Iida tomorrow.

Something behind her clattered. The girl startled, almost throwing her phone across the room. She ripped the earphones out and whirled around. Narrowing her eyes because they were still accustomed the bright phone screen, she peaked over the backrest. Dark eyes stared back at her.

"Hikari?"

She couldn't make the person's features out, but she knew that voice. "Midoriya? It's two in the morning."

There was a short silence before he answered, "I know."

"You should head back to bed."

"You too."

They stared at each other, neither of them moving. Finally, the girl sighed. She put her phone on the table and patted on the couch beside her. Midoriya hesitated at first, but then decided to follow her invitation. They sat beside each other with him staring at his knees and her mustering him with concern.

"Couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah." He sounded tired.

"Me too," she tucked her hair behind her ear, "wanna talk about it?"

Midoriya's facial expression fell, he looked desperate. "I… I can't."

There was so much hurt in his words. Whatever it was, it shook him to the core. It made Hikari feel helpless. She couldn't stand to see him that desperate, but without knowing what was going on, she had no idea what to do about it. Biting her lower lip, she carefully placed her hand on his clenched fist, giving it a soft squeeze.

"Whatever it is, you can talk to me once you're ready, ok?"

Unable to make out more than silhouettes, it was impossible to guess what his face looked like. He stiffened, then turned his head away. Hikari panicked for a second, thinking she had gone too far. Wait, why did she even go for his hand? She wanted to pull back, when Midoriya's hand moved underneath her own. He gave a soft squeeze back before letting her retract her arm.

"I… Thanks," was all that came from him for a while. Hikari leaned back, listening to the ticking of the clock above the TV. The shining green numbers of the microwave reflected on the black screen, other than that, only dim moon light enabled broke through the darkness.

Despite trying to get away from people, Hikari was glad having Midoriya by her side now. She could feel the pleasant warmth of his body heat at her left.

"What about you? Why can't you sleep?" Midoriya's voice cut through the silence. Hikari let her head fall over the backrest to stare at the blank ceiling.

"Momo and Iida came to talk to me today."

There was movement at her side. Hesitantly, the boy asked, "And?"

"I told them," her own words made her feel nauseous, "I told them everything."

Hikari had no idea what they were thinking. Were they silently judging her after all? Would they tell the others? Would everyone be disgusted by her? Would they-

"Hey," Midoriya ripped her from her thoughts, "it's going to be alright. I'm sure they were just shocked, but whatever they said, they would never condemn you for your family's actions. Iida-kun has always supported me, even after knowing about Dragon. And I'm sure Yaoyorozu-san won't judge you either, she's a very good person. They might need to sort their thoughts out, but they'll come around."

She desperately wanted to believe that. But her experiences at Seishin proved otherwise. People always found something to make her feel bad about, something to make her feel unwanted, unloved. Her scars, her withdrawn nature, her unusual opinions on quirks and heroes, anything, really.

"I wish that were true," she admitted voicelessly. There was something about the situation that allowed her to show her vulnerable side. Maybe it was the darkness that concealed her body language, maybe it was the silence making her feel like she was the only being left alive on this planet. She acknowledged Midoriya's presence, but somehow, that didn't count. She trusted him. She knew he saw her the way she was, not the way she portrayed herself in everyday life. When she pulled her legs up on the couch to hug her knees, and he hesitatingly placed his arm around her shoulder like he did the night after her breakdown, Hikari realized how much comfort she found in that. When she allowed her head to rest against his shoulder, it dawned on her. She liked this. She liked being alone with him like that. being with Midoriya made her feel less alone, less like she was just being there for no good reason. More like someone cared, more like she belonged. He gave her so much without realizing.

The only other person to touch her and show affection was Neko. Hikari always returned her hugs and gestures, she never actively sought them out by her own free will. So, why did she with Midoriya? What was different about being with him?

It was strange.

The clock on the microwave showed 2:40. Ignoring the urge to prolong the moment as long as possible, she reminded her friend, "We should go to bed. Aizawa-sensei will kill us if we fall asleep during class"

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

Midoriya's arm disappeared from her back. The sudden cold sent a shiver down her spine. But she had no time to wonder about the weird revelation. Tomorrow was her first remedial class, she couldn't afford to pull an all-nighter.

* * *

Chisaki, chin nonchalantly resting on his hand, watched his business partner arrive. It was harder to get intel on the man than he had hoped for. With a relaxed expression, he watched Dragon taking a seat on the chair across the room, in safe distance. The pillow didn't bulge under the weight of the freckled man. Just as he thought; Dragon wasn't physically here. This had to be a projection, probably through a quirk since no one was able so smuggle that kind of advanced technology in here. Dragon's underling took a stance at the villain's side.

"You've come for more," Chisaki assessed, not letting the other speak up. Dragon smiled politely.

"That is one of many reasons."

"It proved effective."

"Most certainly!" Dragon exclaimed high-spirited. "We wouldn't have been able to take down half as many heroes in Onderon if it wasn't for your brilliant drug. And that was your earlier prototype. I am sure your vast research has improved the product dramatically."

The Yakuza liked his 'business partner' less and less. So annoying and fake. Devoid of any emotion he wanted to know, "What will you give me in return? More intel?"

"I handled everything, I organized subjects for you, a new research facility-"

"That was in regards of our old deal. If you want a new deal, you have to offer me something better." If Dragon continued to be a nuisance above all, there was no reason to proceed with their partnership or whatever this was. And this happened to be the perfect opportunity for Chisaki to assert his dominance. His eyes flickered to Dragon's underling. The Yakuza lifted his head, ready to move, when the door burst open.

A small form speed into the room. Looking over her shoulder, little Eri realized late in which room she just burst in. Horror struck her face as she came to a halt only an arm's length beside Dragon.

"Hello there, young lady. Who might you be?" As kind as the villain sounded, Chisaki immediately identified the look Dragon was giving her. He studied her. He was a clever man, a dangerous man, able to put two and two together in an instant. This had to end, now.

"Chronostasis? Bring Eri back to her room."

Something moved in the shadows. A figure, clad in a hooded coat, face fully covered by a beaked mask, stepped up. Eri didn't dare to struggle as she was picked up by the figure and carried outside. As soon as the door closed, Chisaki came to his feet. Dragon didn't flinch as he approached, the villain was oblivious to the fact that the Yakuza had seen through his little trick. He confidently remarked, "I was going to give you valuable intel on your other new partners, you know, the League, but…"

He didn't back down, he didn't even bat an eye, when Chisaki stopped only as step in front of him. Dragon's underling was clearly uncomfortable, as much as he tried to cover it up. He couldn't be important. There was no way Dragon would take a valuable member to such a precautious meeting.

"But by now, I have become quite interested in this fine young girl, Overhaul. Tell me, is she the source of your wonderful drug?"

Wrong thing to say. Chisaki removed his glove and raised his hand to the underling's face. It was only a brush of his fingertips that caused the man's head to explode.

Dragon still smiled, unfazed by the bloody murder of his man. "My, I see you truly have an interesting quirk yourself. How very curious, considering your opinion on the matter."

* * *

He sat on the couch with his friends. They were all chatting happily, everyone congratulation Kirishima, Uraraka and Asui for becoming the talk of the day. They were truly stepping up the internship game. Izuku watched like a bystander, but still happy for his friends.

A weird sound came from the back. He whirled around, suddenly standing in a dark alley. But not any dark alley. He saw the silver waves of Eri disappearing in the blackness ahead. Not ready to let her slip from his grasp again, Izuku sped up. The darkness consumed him. The walls disappeared from his view, the temperature dropped. His breath turned into small clouds, wind was ripping at his hair as if he stood on a wide-open terrain. The ground beneath his feet was sticky. A sickening smell found its way into his nose. Izuku covered his face, realizing that the back of his glove was wet. Upon lifting his hand, he found it drenched in red. Struck by terror he staggered a few steps back, almost stumbling over something. He barely found his balance, narrowed his eyes and took a closer look. There was a body lying on the floor, almost unidentifiable in the dim, cold light. But there was one round, unmistakable shape on the body's wrist.

"U-Uraraka…?" His voice was incredibly slim. Unable to process what he was seeing, he took in her lifeless form, now recognizing two more bodies in the shadows. He couldn't breathe. There was something, some truth slowly draining all activity from his brain, he couldn't move his limbs, stared paralyzed at his dead friends-

The world went up in flames. They consumed everything around him. His whole vision was taken over by orange and red, he felt the fire burn through the soles of his shoes, nag at his clothes, he smelt his own burned flesh-

He couldn't panic. It was just fire. He didn't have the luxury to be afraid, he needed to stay strong, get out of this, he... Screaming, Izuku activated One for All and stomped on the ground. The flames burst into every direction, still growing, eating away everything in their path.

 _Don't panic. It's just fire._ _This is just a dream. Just a dream. A dream,_ he repeated the mantra and tried to get his breathing under control. He was so confused. One part of his brain was sure he was having another nightmare, the other actively believed in everything he saw and caused him to be absolutely terrified.

 _This is a dream. My dream. I have to take control…_

He took a deep breath. Then another. Uraraka and the others were fine. He was dreaming. He would wake up and everything would be fine. His heartbeat finally slowed down.

By the time he opened his eyes, only a few lonely remnants flickered along the cracks in the concrete under his feet. Astonished he noted they were green. Somehow, the sight calmed him. He reached for it, and the flames came closer, almost as if reaching back...

Izuku woke to the ringing of his phone. He was sprawled across his bed, still in his gym uniform. His feet felt cold. Groaning, he pushed himself up with a stiff back. The teenage boy turned off the alarm, thanking his a few hours younger self for being smart enough to set it in case he'd fall asleep. As he put his phone back on the nightstand, a tear in his blanked caught his attention. Dreading realization hit him. He had done it again. He activated One for All in his sleep. The completely torn blanket and the filling of his pillow littering the floor were indication enough.

* * *

He couldn't focus. Not on his school work, not at hero training. Aizawa threatened to pull him out of the exercise. He even let a few tears slip when his friends asked about it at lunch, but he told them he couldn't talk about it. He really couldn't.

 _All Might was going to die._

He took his time bringing out the trash, not ready to face the others again when they were sending him these worried glances. He shuffled back as slow as he could, head hanging.

"I heard you knew Bakugou from before U.A. but slurping like him doesn't suit you. It's weird."

He lifted his head, finding Hikari standing in front of him, hands in the pockets of her pants. He knew her comment was meant to throw him off, drawing his usual stammering or mumbling out of him. But he wasn't feeling it today. The girl bit her lip and shifted her weight from one foot to the other.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

"I-it's okay, I appreciate the, uhm, attempt." He had nothing else to say.

Hikari studied his face for a moment, then sighed. "Alright, I'm getting straight to the point," she took a deep breath, "Everyone is worried."

He pulled a face. "I don't need-"

"I know you can't talk about it," she took a few steps towards him. "but I can't watch you beating yourself up. And I won't be the last one to confront you about it."

"I know. It's just- What happened to your face?" There was a big blueish mark above her left eyebrow, mostly covered by her bangs. Hikari quickly waved it off, "Just a small bruise from training, please don't change the subject!"

"But-"

"Midoriya." There was a force to the way she spoke his name. Something that immediately got him to shut up.

"You don't have to talk about that exact thing. If you're okay with it, you can just tell me about something small, something that's bothering you right now. Even talking about the smallest things can help. Believe me, so, if you can bring up a minute, I've got some spare time until we leave for remedial class." She gestured to the curb stone separating the gravel from the lawn behind the dorm.

Izuku was conflicted. He stared as Hikari sat down on the curb and patted the empty space to her right, just like she did last night on the couch. It was funny how they always ended up having those heart-to-heart talks.

"If you need to know… I'm having sessions with Recovery Girl. I'm not saying I'm an expert, but I've learnt a few things by watching her. So, it does help to get at least some of the weight lifted off your chest, even if the things you're talking about aren't what's bugging you the most."

"Wait, what? Why…?"

Hikari turned her face away from him. She seemed embarrassed by the topic and admitted, "Please don't tell anyone. I'm already enough of a special snowflake as it is."

He knew he wasn't the only one keeping secrets. Her confession caught his interest. Having made up his mind, Izuku plopped down at her side, thinking of all the things that currently nagged at his nerves.

"Let's play a little game," his friend suggested, "one concern each, we'll take turns. You can choose whatever you want to tell and how much. I won't ask anything in return, just accept your statement. Same goes for you in regards of my confessions. Okay? I can start if you like."

Sounded fair. Maybe he could hint at his worries without talking about anything specific.

"Okay."

"Let's see…" Izuku watched Hikari frown, obviously trying to come up with something. It took her a minute, and she looked quite embarrassed while admitting, "Mineta mentioned he found my scars ugly. I know it's stupid to get upset over something like that, especially since it came from him, and Tsuyu slapped him for me, but that doesn't change the fact that I feel very inferior to the other girls. They're all really likeable, intelligent and pretty, and I'm just… Me."

Izuku's expression darkened. He opened his mouth but before he could complain, a palm appeared in front of his face.

"No questions," Hikari reminded him, "your turn."

Taken aback, he debated with himself for solid thirty seconds. Coming up with something he could confess was hard when her statement itself was something that bothered him. He forced his mind to go back to yesterday's events. Before he knew, it burst out, "The hero I'm going to intern with hates me. He wants to prove that I'm not good enough. That's the only reason he accepted me as an intern." No need to mention One for All.

Hikari's eyes widened. "Okay, that's not small, not small at all, but okay. I'm sorry to hear that… Sorry, no comments, my turn."

Izuku sighed. It was only a tiny piece of rubble falling of the landslide that had covered him, but he already felt lighter.

"I'm training close range combat without the use of quirks with a guy from gen ed, and he pretty much hates me, too."

Being softly elbowed in the ribs because he almost asked for more, Izuku had to shut his mouth. As he ran his fingers through his hair, something else already came to his mind.

"There's a little girl I met during the internship, and she's hurt badly, but I couldn't help her. It's so frustrating! How can I call myself a hero if I can't even save a little girl from-" He was going too far. Izuku stopped midsentence, biting his tongue. He couldn't tell her, not Hikari of all people.

A warm hand was placed on his shoulder to spend comfort. Technically, Hikari was still complying with the rules, no questions asked. He sent her an appreciating glance. The girl retracted her hand and went on, "I'm struggling with myself every time I see my brother in the news. Whenever I hear he hurts people, I have to force myself to believe in the jurisdiction, so I won't think about going after him for revenge."

Another rather world-shaking confession. But he wasn't allowed to react. Instead, feeling more and more relieved with every sentence, Izuku let her know, "Someone close to me, someone I care about very much, is going to die soon."

He watched some students strolling across campus in save distance. He expected the truth to feel different once he said it out loud, but it didn't. There was still this painful ache in his chest, the sting in his eyes. But his posture loosened. He wasn't quite ready to accept the truth yet, and he would do everything in his power to stop it from happening, but just in case, he slowly had to prepare himself.

"Midoriya, I'm… I'm so sorry…" There was sadness in her voice. But she didn't dig any further, as promised. Izuku felt her touch on the back of his hand, like yesterday. Again, he returned the squeeze. Her fingers felt cold on his burning skin. He felt a tingling when her thumb brushed against his scars as she drew her hand back.

Something was different. They had comforted and broken down in each other's arms before, and as friends, it was completely normal to enjoy the other's presence. But Izuku couldn't help but to feel like this had been different. Why did such a simple gesture feel more intimate than giving a hug?

Quickly, Hikari got back on her feet and gave him one last, sympathetic smile. "I'll see you later. If you need-" she paused, then chuckled, "alright, I've said this enough. Later, Midoriya-kun."

For some reason, Izuku's face burned as he looked at his hand. He was unfamiliar with the feeling their short exchange left. Sighing, he turned his attention back to the now orange drenched sky. Feeling tons lighter than before, he was ready to spend a few more minutes watching the sun set.


	30. a time worth remembering

**Chapter 30: a time worth remembering**

"Get the fuck out of my way, Scarface!" Bakugou almost barged into her. Hikari sidestepped not a second too early, making room for the steaming student. She didn't appreciate the name calling. It all started yesterday during remedial class. At first, she thought he was addressing Todoroki. As it turned out, he had indeed been talking to her. The nickname was nothing more than a cruel joke, because she had scars all over except on her face, which Bakugou caught a glimpse of for the first time when he saw her in her hero outfit.

"Wow, he's peeved. What'd you do?" Kirishima followed the blonde idiot into the classroom, coming to a halt at Hikari's side. She quickly defended, "I didn't do anything!"

Kirishima rose a brow but was ready to leave it at that, when Todoroki appeared and nonchalantly offered his explanation, "He's probably still mad because you slapped him at remedial class."

A gasp came from his side where Midoriya joined them. Before she could react, Kaminari jumped from his seat to join them.

"No way, you did _what_?"

"H-he deserved it! Right, Todoroki?" She turned to her new – kind of - friend for help. Todoroki shrugged. It was funny, really. Up till yesterday, they hadn't exchanged a full sentence. Maybe it was because they both disapproved of Bakugou's strategy during the rescue exercise, maybe because that Inasa-guy from that other hero school started talking to Hikari as well, meaning he wasn't latching to Todoroki the whole time. Not that they were best friends or anything, but he tolerated her presence and answered all her questions and didn't seem annoyed by her few attempts to talk to him.

"I wish I could've seen that! You have some guts, Shikogane!" Kaminari exclaimed, friendly putting an arm around Hikari's shoulders.

"It was on impulse, I never slapped anyone before," she tried to wave it off, "he was acting stupid-"

"What the hell did you just say, Scarface?!" The boy in question yelled from the back of the classroom. Immediately forgetting to be reserved, Hikari narrowed her eyes.

"I said you were being an idiot. And no need to blow up, you're just salty because your quirk and therefore _you_ were pretty much useless during the whole exercise."

There was an _Ooooh_ going through the rows. They had everyone's attention by now. Kaminari hissed a _shots fired_. Midoriya tried to calm her down, but she was still too stirred up about being pulled out in her very first class because of Bakugou's little stunt. The explosive teenager got back up from his seat, staring her into the ground. If looks could kill.

"Well that's a fucking lot coming from someone begging for pity by pretending to have no control over her quirk!"

"Oi, Bakugou!" Kirishima stepped in, what only caused the other to grow even more furious. "See? That's exactly-"

"Enough." Aizawa-sensei raised his voice, seconds before Iida would have. The teacher ended the fight by unzipping himself from his sleeping bag. "Back to your seats."

* * *

"You're disappointed."

"Yes."

Hikari fastened the strips on her elbow guard. "I'm sorry."

"You attacked your own teammate, a fellow hero, not only once, but twice. Instead of making up, you fought him again this morning. Now you're apologizing to me instead of him."

"I'm-" she stopped herself, "fine. I will apologize."

"Good." Aizawa motioned to the obstacle course covering most of the gym. It looked vaguely familiar.

"This is the same set-up as we had a few weeks ago. We're repeating the exercise, I want to see if there was some progress."

 _If._ One word was enough to pull Hikari's mood further down. She had just started to feel better, now this? Gulping down the words of protest, the girl crossed the field. All she needed to do was reaching the finishing line, getting through her homeroom teacher on the way.

Seven attempts. Six times she had already failed, by the seventh, her legs gave out mid movement. Hikari pushed herself out of the way, gasping for air, somehow, she managed to ram her shoulder into Aizawa's stomach. With every bit of strength she had left, the girl dove behind the closest pile of cement. She slid down the grey wall, unable to get back up on her feet. The exhaustions made her feel dizzy. A drop of sweat tickled her upper lip.

Aizawa rounded the corner in no time, towering over her. "What was that?"

"Tactical retreat," she retorted, wiping the drop off with her thumb.

"Getting cheeky, are we?"

Hikari grimaced. "Better than to die meaninglessly."

"I agree."

That, she didn't expect. Eyes wide, she glanced up at the teacher. He folded his arms in front of his chest but appeared to be satisfied, as far as one could tell. "That's enough for today."

"But I didn't complete the exercise!" Hikari complained. She tried to push herself up to no avail.

"I've seen enough."

"But-"

"I am still upset you managed to be pulled out during your first remedial class. So many exceptions have been made to let you participate, so I would advise you to value your privileges and follow the goddamn rules. It's not that hard."

The gravel digging into her palms suddenly looked interesting.

"I am aware you lack the experience, but this is exactly why you need to pass this class. I am not allowed to let you train with the others until you get your license, much less let you take part in any kind of internship again."

Her eyes widened at the revelation. "Wait, does that mean you would let me join them if it wasn't for…?"

The underground hero sighed and rolled his head, joints cracking. "Shikogane, you're on a good way. You may not have been able to complete the exercise today, but there was clearly progress. A few weeks ago, would you have retreated so you could try again another time?"

The answer was simple. "No."

"Exactly. Please don't neglect your chance. There are only a few lessons left before the exam. If it serves as a motivational point, principal Nedzu has agreed to let you go out this Sunday afternoon. We're bringing you to a place called Necoffee. One to four pm."

All complaints were instantly forgotten. Hikari was allowed to leave U.A. Even if only for a few hours. She was going to see Neko. That alone twisted her stomach, but in a good way.

"I… Thank you, Sensei, this means so much-"

"Don't get all emotional," he harshly interrupted, "you're still nowhere close to passing the exam. I want to see you in full spirit for tomorrow's lessons, do you understand? No slacking off. No moping."

"Yes, Sir!"

* * *

They left, one after another. Height Alliance was quiet for once. Hikari yawned. The past two days had been extremely exhausting, so she allowed herself to sleep in and enjoy a lazy Saturday morning. She had given it her all during extra class and did some additional training on her own in the evening, after she recovered some strength. She deserved this.

The living area looked homey, lived in. Someone had left their school books and bits of chocolate wrapping paper on the table. Most of the chairs were crowded together at the upper end. A few clean plates were drying beside the sink, a pillow had fallen off the couch. Hikari picked it up and placed it where it belonged. She wore her sports uniform pants and a short-sleeved shirt. For once, she didn't feel the need to wrap them up, there was no one here to see and judge.

The ex-Seishin student tied her hair up in a loose bun, fetched a water bottle from the fridge and made her way towards the forest. There was a nice, quiet place where she could try to get that new technique under control. During remedial class, she had discovered a previously unknown side of her quirk. It was something trivial, not sounding worth the attention. But oh, the possibilities. Once she lay awake in bed they came flooding to her mind. How come she never noticed before?

With a bit of focus, she was able to send her particles through her skin without damaging it. Why had she never considered it could work on other materials as well? When she shot some darts of her particles across the gym their training took place, she hit another student. He came out of nowhere and jumped straight into the line of fire. Hikari almost died of a heart attack when she saw the darts racing towards the poor guy. With all her might she prayed they wouldn't hurt him- And they went straight _through_ him.

The student screamed in shock, but he wasn't hurt. Before either he or Hikari could panic, the fight went on. She didn't get a chance to think about the incident until lying in bed that night. If she learnt how to control that… Her quirk would only hit intended targets. Walls didn't pose obstacles anymore. She could use it without damaging her gear, meaning, she wouldn't have to wear a costume with revealing cut-outs anymore. There were still so many other variables to be taken into consideration, but the possibilities seemed endless. She just _had_ _to_ learn how to control it.

Training went not that well. She shot particles at a tree, but they always got stuck, never passed through. After that, she decided to start smaller and picked a leaf from the nearest bush. It bulked whenever her quirk came in touch with it. She tried again and again, until the leaf gave in, particles stabbing right through its core.

Five leaves later, desperation set in. Hikari kicked a branch out of her way, screaming in frustration. Why couldn't she do it now? It was perfect. With that new ability she could impress Aizawa-sensei, convince him - and herself - that she was making progress, that she wasn't useless anymore. It was the only way to catch up to her classmates.

Hikari put her hands in her pockets and stomped out of the clearing back into the forest. She needed some space. More time to overthink. A path came into view behind the next row of threes. She was about to pass through, when voices resounded from not too far away.

"... you, for accompanying me again today." Was that All Might?

"Of course!" Clearly Midoriya, answered, sounding nowhere near as exhausted as the Symbol of Piece. "We made a promise. I can never train enough anyway."

All Might's laugh echoed all the way through. "Don't forget to live your life, young Midoriya. There's enough time to be a hero when you're grown up."

Some indistinctive mumbling followed. Hikari had a feeling that this was a private conversation, not meant for her ears. Hearing their steps approach, she took a sharp turn, not wanting to be seen. In hindsight, that movement may have been a little too quick. She crashed head first into one of the trees, the momentum sending her staggering back a few steps. She hissed _,_ holding her front in confusion. That hurt enough to leave a bump. She still had that purple bruise from her sparring with Shinsou and all those scratches from remedial class. There wasn't a day she didn't look like a thug.

"Hi-Hikari? Are you okay?"

The girl froze. She had stumbled all the way back to the path. As she turned to her right, she found All Might and Midoriya looking at her with both surprise and concern. The teacher one was panting heavily.

"Uhm, yeah, sorry, I just-" Walked into a tree? No way she was going to say that. "I was just trying something. Didn't really work out. Quirk related stuff."

All Might was staring at her arms. Reading about it in her file and seeing it in real life had to feel different. The teacher caught himself quickly and offered a soft smile. "I'm sorry to hear that, young Shikogane. Is there something we can help you with?"

"No, uhm," she wanted to get out of here, "but thank you, I appreciate it. I just have to try again. So, if you don't mind, I will…" She pointed back to the forest. Thankfully, All Might nodded.

"We don't want to keep you. Good luck with your training and please, be careful," he wished her whole-heartedly, making her feel even worse for eavesdropping.

"I will, and you, too." She waved, a gesture the retired Symbol of peace returned. She sent one last cheeky grin at a confused Midoriya before re-entering the forest. Time to get as far away from them as possible.

Maybe she should pay Lunch Rush a visit. She had a special permission to ask him for meals even outside of school hours and on the weekends, since the school acted as her legal guardian and had to provide her with food anyway. Also, she needed more than an average girl her age. Her quirk burned a lot of calories and nutrients, anything that provided energy to create the particles.

"Hikari!" Midoriya's call caught her off guard. She didn't expect him to follow her. Stuffing her hands back into her pockets, she waited for him.

"Aren't you jogging with All Might?"

"He gets exhausted quite fast," the boy informed her, "he went back for today."

"I see." He joined her side, not even asking where she was going. Hikari unwittingly rubbed her throbbing front.

"Does it hurt?"

"Uhm," she blinked, "kind of, but it's fine-"

"We have a few cooling packs in the freezer," he suggested, always ready help. Hikari knew better than to argue. Freezer meant fridge, and fridge meant food.

A few minutes later, the girl gratefully accepted the cooling pack. It really did wonders. They sat down at the crowded end of the table. No one had moved the chairs back yet, the dorm still felt abandoned. Midoriya looked around. "Where is everyone?"

"Out," Hikari answered, not wanting to go into detail.

"Oh," there was something wistful in his voice, "I see. It's a beautiful day after all."

She didn't like that tone. She playfully poked him in the cheek, earning the baffled expression she was hoping for. "Hey, at least we're both stuck in here. If that consoles you."

Midoriya rubbed said cheek, a wide array of emotions flashing over his features. He set for one that seemed a mixture of relief and gloom, still managing to muster up some sort of smile.

"I guess you're right," the way he put his fingers on his chin indicated that he was about to mumble again, "I'm glad I'm not alone in this, and it's good to have you, I don't know if I'd be able to deal with all of this on my own, but I'm also feeling kind of bad about it. I shouldn't be glad that you're going through the same. You don't deserve this. I mean, I don't think I deserve this either, but I'm feeling bad about feeling good that you also feel bad-"

She couldn't hold back anymore. Hikari snorted.

"What-?"

"Sorry," She quickly bit her lip in an attempt to stop, "how do you even still worry about that? I've been in this longer than you. We had no say in it, all we can do is make the best out of it. So, yeah, I'm sorry if it sounds rude, but I'm also kinda glad that you're in this, too. Having someone to talk to, someone who understands, is nice." There was something moving inside of her. A faint suspicion. Something she immediately pushed back. Instead, her smile faltered.

"It's All Might, isn't it? The person close to you who's going to die."

Midoriya froze. His face fell. For a moment he just stared at her, then averted his eyes. "What makes you think so?"

"I'm sorry, I know I said I wouldn't push, but," Hikari readjusted the cooling pack, just so she had something to fidget with, "I don't want to see you hurt like this. And it's obvious, really. If your reaction just now wasn't enough, I had my suspicions about his state of health for a long time. And I'm sure I'm not the only one."

Midoriya propped his elbows on the table. He rested his face in his hands, completely shutting out the world.

"I am so, so sorry," Hikari tried again, "I know how much he means to you. And I promise I won't tell anyone. I can't tell you enough how sorry I feel… I lost my father, too. Believe me, I know how it feels, you have every right to be scared."

That caused the green haired boy to lift his head, even if only so little.

"I never told you about him, did I? He's the reason everything turned out this way."

Midoriya's chin rose a bit more. His big eyes were still filled with pain, but curiosity joined, demanding for more. Hikari slid her chair a little closer to the table so she could rest her elbows on there as well.

"He was a police officer. Always wanted to be a hero, but he was quirkless, so that's as far as he got." Something new shone in Midoriya's eyes, something she couldn't place. Ignoring it, she went on, "that's how he met my mother, on the job. They got married, had my brother and me, and everything seemed perfect. Until that one fight."

Now she was the one avoiding looking at him. She told Neko about the passing of her father once, but never in detail, so this was a first.

"It was massive. Lots of heroes and villains fighting. Whole buildings collapsed, many people died. One of them was my father. I was seven at that time."

"The sukarif-incident?" Of course, Midoriya would know about that. He was an absolute nerd for hero fights.

"Yeah. They later found out many casualties could have been prevented if the heroes had followed a plan instead of rushing into the fight. That's what drove my mom mad. Not simply losing him but losing him becauseof the incompetence of her colleagues. People she trusted, people she considered friends. She even found clues that parts of the fight might have been staged."

"I had no idea…"

"What I'm saying is," Hikari tried to deflect from talking any more about the incident, she never realized how much it still hurt, "enjoy your time with him. Be with him. Make those last months worth living, make them a time worth remembering. So, when he passes, you won't have to go through all that grief looking back. Thinking about him should make you feel happy, not sad."

Her monologue wasn't directed solely at him, but also herself. She missed her dad. She missed him so much. He had always been there for her, the only one who understood, the only one to support her, telling her that her quirk was not a curse but a power for good. He never forced her to hide it, supress it like her mother did. Never hurt her. He loved her the way she was, the good and the bad.

"You okay?"

There was a single tear running down her cheek. Hikari quickly wiped it away. "Yeah, sorry."

By the time she pulled herself together, she found Midoriya smiling at her. His positive attitude was back.

"You're right. I can't sit around and mope. I will do whatever I can to make these next moths count. And maybe… Maybe the future can be changed."

Hikari couldn't help but think of his optimism as childish naiveté. If that idea comforted him, though, there was no need pointing it out. She felt guilty even thinking about it. But there was something she could do. Something to keep his mind off things that would also help herself, killing two birds with one stone. Hikari plopped the cooling back on the table.

"Hey, Midoriya-kun, you're still analysing quirks, aren't you?"

He was taken by surprise. "I am, why?"

"There is this thing, I'm trying, and I think maybe you could help me with it? If it's not any trouble for you."

He had his notebook ready by the time she finished her last sentence.

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you so much to every single one of you 70 people following this fic! This is more than I ever dared to dream of! 3 Please let me know if you liked this chapter.**_

 _ **Next** **up:** **Reunion! But... What's with that cliffhanger in the end? We've seen these villains before... [laughs manically]**_


	31. It's not your fault, sensei

**Chapter 31: It's not your fault, sensei**

She was nervous. Today was the day. Hikari spent the morning doing her homework, then stood in front of her wardrobe for half an hour. The tiny piles looked paltry, leaving mostly empty space. She never had the luxury to care about what she was wearing. At Seishin, as well as here at U.A., she wore her uniform on weekdays, her hero costume or sports uniform to train. Other than uniforms, she owned mostly long-sleeved T-Shirts, a pair of jeans and two sweatpants, there wasn't any reason for her to wear something nice. She couldn't leave the campus anyway.

Except for today.

Hikari didn't want to look like a hobo when she finally met her best friend after such a long time. Neko would only worry. For all the U.A. student knew, her friend was already upset. After finally setting her mind, Hikari angrily shut the door and stomped along the hallway. Her fist hovered in front of the next room door. Was this a good idea?

* * *

Tokoyami took a double take when she ran into him on her way down, but he didn't comment. Hikari flashed him an awkward grin. She adjusted the hood of the oversized black zipper jacket she borrowed from Kyouka. Momo had offered to make her clothes with her quirk, but Hikari refused. Instead, the girls spent over an hour letting Hikari try on some of theirs until they found an outfit all of them agreed to. It had been nice doing something so trivial. Something ordinary girls her age would do. For once she felt… Normal.

Hoping to pass without being noticed, Hikari crept down the stairs. Sickness came with the anticipation, no way she was joining the others for lunch. That didn't mean she couldn't drink one of Momo's nerve calming teas before leaving, though. The girl snuck into the kitchen area unseen and reached for the upper shelf of the cupboard - damn, Momo, why? - when the sudden appearance of one for her classmates caused her to drop the box. It clattered on the floor, its contents sliding across the kitchen.

"Don't sneak up on me like a creep-!" she began, only to be interrupted by a sudden, "The fuck you dressed like that, scarface?"

"None of your business." Showing Bakugou the cold shoulder Hikari knelt down, picking up the tea bags. He was being rude again, but she didn't listen to anything he said. Why did Aizawa-sensei expect her to apologize to someone like him?

A mop of brown hair came into view. With puffed, red cheeks Ochako offered, "I'll help you!"

"Thanks, but you don't have to…"

"Right, I don't, but _he_ does." Fearlessly, Ochako grabbed Bakugou by the sleeve. She pulled him down and ordered him to help. To Hikari's surprise, he screamed at his bubbly classmate, but followed her order none the less. Despite her cute appearance, Ochako was a force even Bakugou reckoned with. She had Hikari's respect.

A bit sour and not in the mood for tea anymore, Hikari adjusted the strap of her shoulder bag. The sooner she got out of here, the better. She wanted to excuse herself but was held back by Ochako.

"Where are you going? I've never seen you dressed like that."

"I'm going… Out?"

The gravity quirk heroine gasped. "Out, like, _out_? I thought you weren't allowed…?"

"It's a special occasion," Hikari explained, "an exception. It's just a few hours, I'll be back for dinner and Midnight-sensei will be with me the whole time."

Something sparked in Ochako's eyes. Joy? A wide grin was plastered on her face. Was she happy for Hikari? Someone called for her from the common area, but Ochako only offered a few hand gestures that were impossible to identify. Then, she turned back to Hikari, "I'm so happy for you!"

"Thanks?"

"And you clean up really nice! Wait… It's not a date, is it?" The girl clapped a hand over her mouth.

"N-no! I'm meeting my best friend! I just… Wanted to look nice? I haven't seen her in months." Hikari tucked her loose hair behind her ear. She didn't look that different. Maybe the choker was a little much, but she admired Kyouka's punk rock-ish style. By the time she directed her eyes at Ochako again, Mina's head peaked over the kitchen counter. She eyed Hikari intensely, making the girl feel uncomfortable.

"Looking good," Mina gave her a thumbs up, "next time you're asking us to buy clothes for you, we'll go for something like that."

"O-okay?"

A flying shirt, Hagakure, joined her, "Wait, you're going somewhere?"

Hikari hated all the attention, blushing, she adjusted the hood of Kyouka's jacket, hiding her chin underneath.

"I-it's really not a big deal! Oh, look at the time," she turned to the clock above the TV, "time to leave. Don't wanna be late. See you tonight!"

Before anyone was able to hold her back, Hikari dashed across the room. She barely avoided one of Shouji's arms. Out of the corners of her eyes she saw Iida with a bewildered look on his face. She gave him a thumbs up to let him know she wasn't doing anything stupid. Wordlessly, she offered a last wave to the whole class, unknowing she would indeed not be seeing them for a while.

* * *

The drive wasn't long. Of course, they would choose something close to U.A. Present Mic was there for delivery and pickup, while Midnight followed Hikari inside. She would take a seat in the front of the café, leaving the students as much privacy as possible while keeping an eye on them and anyone entering the café. Hikari could live with that, if it was all it cost to see Neko.

The drive was spent in silence. The girl took in the normalcy around her. Young mothers pushed their buggies. Business people crossed the streets, eyes fixed on the screens of their phones. Children were playing at the playground near the café. A boy started crying after he fell and scrapped his knee. His mother was at his side in an instant, whispering calming words into his ears, her hand on his head. Hikari watched the scene longingly.

The doorbell chimed as they entered. It looked homey. A smell mixed of cat and coffee hit them in the face. Hikari scanned the area nervously, her insides were doing somersaults, making her stomach growl unpleasantly. Suddenly, the air was knocked from her lungs. She stumbled, but long arms held her tightly in place. Her face was pushed into a familiar chest.

"Look at that. I thought heroes don't cry?" It was meant to mock, yet Hikari couldn't help but to smile. She wiped the few stray tears off her cheeks.

"Neko…" She was there. Tall as ever, thin eyebrows mischievously arched. She looked more tired than Hikari remembered, but all in all still great. Their happy staring was interrupted by Midnight laying a hand on Hikari's shoulder and pointing to a free table beside the entry. The girl nodded approvingly.

"Have fun, girls!" The female hero winked and left. Neko's lips went thin, but she refrained from commenting. They sat down at one of the small, round tables far in the back. The first few moments went by in silence with neither knowing where to start. After the waitress came to take their orders, one of the cats made itself comfortable in Neko's lap.

"You're the cat whisperer," Hikari joked, fingers nervously fidgeting under the table.

"It comes with the name." There was a short silence, a few long seconds both girls stared each other in the eyes. Without warning, both started laughing at the same time.

"I'm so glad to see you-"

"I missed you so much-"

"You won't believe-"

"There's so much-"

Again, they fell into laughter. It felt incredibly good. Hikari wiped a happy tear from the corner of her eye. "You first."

"No, I insist. I want to know how my little _hero_ is doing," Neko taunted her again.

"You're not letting this go, are you?"

"Never." The cat in Neko's lap purred loudly. "So, how are things over there? You doing well?"

Hikari played with her hair. With all the training, she rarely wore it down anymore. It reminded her of her old self from her years at Seishin Academy. Despite hating the place, nostalgia washed over her. "I'm doing quite fine, actually. There were some downs, but I feel like I'm finally settling in."

"You sure they're treating you well?" An accusing undertone lay in Neko's voice. Hikari couldn't blame her. She had tried to cover the bruise from her sparring with Shinsou and the bump from yesterday with her bangs, but Neko's sharp eyes had noticed them from the beginning.

"I know how it looks," the hero in training defended, "but it's really not that bad. Training is rough and they aren't cutting some slack, but I'm making progress. And the students are nice. Momo and Kyouka even lent me their clothes for today."

Thin eyebrows rose. "I wanted to ask about that."

"Don't like it?" Hikari grinned sheepishly.

"That's not it, but I know you're pretty self-conscious, I just didn't expect it."

Hikari simply shrugged. "Guess some things do change."

Someone cleared their throat. The waitress set their orders down, wishing them a nice stay. Hikari gaped at her cupcake. It had a cat face painted on. Even the spoon she got with her tea had little cat ears.

"Other things don't. Still easy to impress," Neko remarked. There was more behind her words, yet she changed the subject, "Are you really going through with this? Do you _want_ this? Becoming a hero, I mean."

Her tone wasn't accusing. And that was the exact reason it felt off. Neko should be at least a little bit angry. The Neko Hikari knew would try everything to persuade her to stop. She would grab her by the shoulders, hiss, and yet, this Neko did nothing. Hikari didn't know which was worse.

"I'm… I'm sorry. But there are things only I can do. So many things are wrong in this world, in our society, and I have the power to do something about it. I wouldn't be able live with myself if I just ignored that, not anymore."

Neko didn't falter. She didn't even blink once she announced, "Wow, Yotsune is right. You have changed after all. They really are pushing that social justice warrior thing down your throat."

"It's not like that," Hikari deflected again, a bit on edge, "but after all that happened… I'm not doing this for the greater good. I'm not like the other students, I don't care about world peace and so on. I just don't want anybody to go through the same hell I did. But I guess you're right, I have changed." Hikari averted her eyes. Neko was her best friend, it shouldn't feel so off to talk to her, and yet… This wasn't how she had imagined their meeting to go. There was this lump in her throat. Guilt, perhaps? But why? Had they been separated for too long? That much couldn't have changed in a few months, could it?

"Easy, I didn't say it was a bad change. It's just… Different." Neko took a sip of her coffee. Black, as always. "While I'm not approving of all you said, that new drive looks good on you. I don't remember having seen you that passionate in like, ever." A smile found its way on her lips, equally sad and proud. Hikari shook her head. She had a hard time dealing with this new development.

"Neko, I-"

Her phone vibrated. She quickly glanced at her bag but ignored it.

"So many things happened-"

It vibrated again.

"... and there's not enough time to tell you about ev-"

It vibrated _again_. Hikari groaned. She was about to turn the device off, when her friend suggested, "Go on, read it, I don't mind. Seems like someone desperately wants your attention."

She flashed her an apologetic look before unlocking her phone. First, there was 1-A's group chat, not worth her attention. Probably more memes or questions regarding homework. She swiped the notification off. Underneath appeared three new messages from Midoriya.

The first one was a simple " _hey"_ , the next " _I head from Uraraka that you're out"_. The last one was " _Please be careful, it's not safe at the moment"._ She couldn't help but smile at that. Typing as quickly as possible she let him know, " _hey, everything's fine, thanks. I'm with Neko. You take care, too."_

She stored the device deep in her shoulder bag, where no notification would bother them anymore. Neko on the other side of the table was calmly sipping on her coffee, but the grin behind the cup spoke volumes.

"Glad to see you have someone caring for you there. But what was that on your face just now?"

Hikari puffed her cheeks. "What?"

"The corners of your mouth twitched. Upwards. When was the last time that happened?"

"Neko, you're losing me."

"Mhm." Neko simply eyed Hikari, silently judging. It had the later completely on edge.

"Anyway," she changed the subject, "how are things over at Seishin? I mean, no offence, but you look exhausted."

The quirkless girl took the bait. She set down her cup and leaned in. Her expression remained content, but her voice grew low and eerie while she let her friend know, "There's something I came here to talk to you about."

Re-enacting her behaviour, Hikari leaned in as well with a fake smile. "I'm all ears."

"Weird things are going down at Seishin, big, bad things. I don't think it's something Yotsune and I can handle on our own. I need your advice." Neko placed her hand on Hikari's. Something smooth and cold resided between their palms.

"A little gift, some reading material for when no one's looking."

She had a bad feeling about this. Neko wouldn't go through those lengths if it wasn't important, meaning, extremely dangerous. More so than the whole incident with Dainigai-sensei even.

"Seishin's basement has been turned into some kind of science lab," she explained, "we believe they're conducting experiments on students still hiding their quirks down there. Our best guess is-"

"They're erasing their quirks." It didn't take a genius to figure. It was something Seishin would do.

"Yeah." Her words were barely above a whisper. Neko's smile grew more strained as she went on, "But that's not the worst of it. I went there once, to-"

"Are you out of your mind?!" Hikari interrupted, only to be kicked in the shin under the table. The cat on Neko's lap protested with a meow and fled. The Seishin student carried on, ignoring the protest, "To find more clues. You'll find most of them on that drive. When I went down there, I ran into someone. A little girl. Couldn't be older than eight or nine, and she was… I think she was like you."

It was all Hikari needed to hear. Her smile faltered. "You don't mean…?"

"She mentioned her dad. I couldn't get more out of her, and I haven't seen her since, but she looked bad. Hurt. There was nothing I could do… I thought maybe you'd know. Maybe you heard something about…"

The rest of her sentence drowned beneath Hikari's thoughts. Heard. Yes, she had heard something, not too long ago, a friend of her mentioned something about a girl he couldn't save, stopping mid-sentence, as if he didn't want her to know the rest of the story. What if he didn't because he knew it would upset her? What if the rest of the sentence had been about the same Neko said?

It couldn't be. This was impossibly the same girl. Hikari's mind was playing tricks on her. It was making her see connections where there were none.

But… What if it was? What if it was indeed the same girl? Wasn't it worth at least looking into it?

"Hellooo? Earth to Hikari? Are you still with me?"

The U.A. student blinked out of her trance. "That girl," she inquired, "what can you tell me about her?"

Neko drew back the tiniest bit. Her eyes narrowed. "Well, she told me her name was Eri. I couldn't get a good look at her because it was dark, but I think she had a horn on her front. A single horn on her right side. Her hair was long and wavy, but that's all I got. Hikari, she seemed so scared, I-" Neko stopped, afraid to overstep. She was being mindful of Hikari's feelings and the hero in training could only thank her for that.

"I'll take a look at the data," Hikari assured, "there's no way I'll turn my back on this. And besides, that sounded pretty, well, _heroic_ of you." She couldn't help it. The thought of Neko wanting to save someone so desperately, someone that wasn't herself or Hikari, was too alluring.

"Don't you dare," followed the immediate response. The initial shock was replaced by a faint smile.

They talked and talked, about everything they could think of. Neko told her about the changes at Seishin, how she was slowly building up her "business" again, what the new regulations had done to the overall perception of the school inside as well as from the public. Hikari spoke of her training with Aizawa, how she became exasperated with a certain classmate and how different life in general at 1-A's dorm was. When she saw Midnight walking up to them, the lump was back in her throat.

"It's time, isn't it?" Neko guessed. Hikari could only nod.

"Make sure it won't take that long until we see each other again, do you understand?" Despite the harsh words, Neko's voice stayed calm and soft. Hikari copied her expression once again. "I'll do my best."

They hugged, twice. They wished each other a good time, reminded themselves to call every day, ordered the other to take care. Hikari felt like she might start crying any second. Midnight payed for the girls and had to gently shove her student outside. It was only a see-you-soon, why did it feel like a farewell?

The drive back went in silence again. They passed the playground once more, but there were less children now. Hikari watched the businessmen with their phones, when she noticed they weren't taking the same route back. She didn't think much of it. Probably the traffic jam. Or they were making sure no one followed, no need to become all nervous. This was an everyday procedure. Everything was fine.

Less and less people could be seen outside. Now that she thought about it, their surroundings had turned into more of an industrial setup. And even if they took a detour, shouldn't they be arriving by now? Finally giving in to the unease spreading, she leaned towards the front seats. "Sensei? Where are we going?"

No answer came.

"...Sensei?" Once more, no reaction. The girl reached out and poked both Midnight and Mic into their upper arms. Neither reacted. Now it was time to panic.

Hikari reached for her bag, her phone was stowed somewhere in there, deep down… A hand got hold of the bag and ripped it from her hands. Aghast, she stared at her hero art history teacher. Midnight's face was blank, but there was panic in the women's eyes. Hikari knew those symptoms, she had felt them herself. Midnight was not in control of her body.

This couldn't be happening. This was a dream. The girl pinched her tight, the pain telling her that this was indeed happening.

It made no sense. Her only guess… Voodoo and the Puppeteer were working for Dragon. Dragon had disappeared. He had no reason to hold the U.A. teachers prisoner, unless… Unless he wanted something from Midoriya. She couldn't let that happen. Whatever he was planning, Hikari had to put an end to it. Why wasn't she also under the two villains' control anyway? If they got samples of the teachers' DNA, it had to be easy for them to get some of hers as well?

The car abruptly came to a halt. Midnight still held on tightly to Hikari's bag. Present Mic didn't move. His hands remained on the steering wheel.

They were in an abandoned parking lot. No cars could be seen anywhere. No people, no signs of life. Not even a stray dog.

"Open the door," a muffled voice echoed between the walls of the seemingly empty warehouses around them, "step outside before your teachers hurt themselves in an accident."

It wasn't fair. They were good, strong people. They had no chance knowing someone would pick a single hair from them and get full control over their bodies. No one could blame them. It wasn't their fault.

"I'll count to three," the voice came again. Hikari had to act fast. She unzipped her hoodie, whispering to her teachers, "This is Kyouka's jacket, please bring it back. I bet it's important to her. And as her teachers, this should beimportant to you _,_ too." It was all she could tell them without saying too much, afraid the villains might be listening. After all, Neko's USB drive was in that pocket. And whatever Dragon wanted, she couldn't let him get a hand on it.

The girl threw one last apologetic look at her teachers.

"It's not your fault, sensei."

She stepped outside. The fresh air gave her goose bumps. There, not too far away, stood the two villains she remembered from Onderon.

"Long time no see, dear," Voodoo welcomed her with open arms, "do exactly as we say, and nothing will happen to those two. Our boss would like to see you."


	32. Link

**Chapter 32: Link**

"How could this happen?" Aizawa wanted to know. Grim faces turned away, no one except principal Nedzu being able to withstand his intense glare. The mouse like creature leaned back into its chair, letting out a deep sigh. Even he didn't expect things to turn out this way.

"Shouta…" Present Mic began, but Aizawa didn't want to see his apologetic face. He knew it wasn't his friend's fault, neither Midnight's, but he still couldn't bring himself to offer any comforting words. Not when one of his students had been abducted, literally stolen out of the car while two of them were present. How did it come to this? And more importantly, why?

"I'm sorry, Aizawa-kun," the principal piped up, "no one knew this was going to happen. We took precautions, but it seems against the wrong foe."

Dragon. The Puppeteer and Voodoo were known to be his henchmen. But what did the villain want with one of his students? They expected him to go after Midoriya, but not after a random kid. There were no demands, no clues to why this exact student had been taken. It didn't make sense. She was the most well protected, the hardest to get to, Dragon must have gone through lengths to get her. Meaning, he specifically wanted her. All kinds of thoughts and scenarios rushed through Eraserhead's mind, too fast and without substance.

Nedzu cleared his throat. "This is a hard one for all of us to take. But we're all tired, the authorities have been informed and the force is already looking for clues. Please go to sleep, dear colleagues. If you want to help, come back tomorrow once you're rested and have a clear mind."

There was no room for argument. One after another, the teachers left the office. It had been a tiresome emergency meeting. Mic and Midnight walked up to Aizawa, but they were held back by All Might. The retired Symbol of Peace shook his head and guided them outside. The door shut, leaving only 1-A's homeroom teacher and the principal behind. No words were needed for this exact setup to happen.

"Once again, my condolences," the principal began. Aizawa huffed.

"She's not dead yet." At least, he believed so. He had to. It was the only thought keeping him sane.

"That's most likely true," Nedzu gestured him to come closer, "but there are a few rather… Unpleasant developments. Things that, for now, only you and I can know."

That didn't sit good with the teacher. The wrinkles between his brows grew deeper. "I'm listening."

"Before she was taken, Shikogane-kun stated something rather peculiar." A clue after all. "She left her jacket, which she apparently borrowed from Jirou-kun. By Yamada-kun and Kayama-kun's statement, she had a unique way of telling them the piece of clothing is important to us as well."

A hidden message. Even in such a precarious situation, Shikogane had managed to leave a clue. Aizawa could only admire his student's quick thinking.

"Where is the jacket now?"

"We handed it over to the investigative team." Of course. Of course, the only lead had been taken from them. Aizawa's blood boiled, hidden beneath his frozen stance.

"But," the mouse-bear added, "I took the liberty of going through it. What I found will be delivered first thing tomorrow morning, but I wanted you to see it none the less."

Something in the teacher's chest moved. Maybe all hope wasn't lost. He didn't comment on the principal's admittedly dubious behaviour. Instead, he approved with a single nod. Nedzu gave his computer screen a slight push until Aizawa could take a good look.

"I found a drive loaded with incredibly dangerous data in its pocket. It seems to be linked to an investigation, but nothing professional. Whoever gathered this had skills but lacked the resources."

There were pictures of dark hallways, shaky photographs of obscure labs, name lists, pictures of students. It took Aizawa a few seconds to identify the uniform of Seishin Academy on one of them.

"What I can tell from what I've been able to go through is, that there is a very likely possibility that Seishin Academy is conducting experiments. The lists compose of students and other school stuff, but I wasn't able to draw any connections between them."

"You believe Shikogane was kidnapped because she carried that drive," Aizawa concluded, "which also means…" A dreading realization set in.

"I fear so," the principal affirmed, "if Dragon took her because of the drive and realizes she doesn't have it anymore, there is no way knowing what he would do."

He couldn't let that happen. Aizawa smashed his fits on the desk, finally losing his cool. "We can't wait," he urged, "we must-"

" _Shouta-kun_ ," the principal brought out his most threatening cool, "please calm down. There's nothing we can do, for now. We neither know where he's holding her, if he is at all, nor do we know if my assumptions are true. I know you built a deep connection to her over those past few months of personal training, but you can't let that get in the way of your work. You have other obligations to follow, as a teacher, as well as a professional hero."

"Then why did you tell me about this?"

"Because it's not all." His words were inauspiciously. "There is something else I've discovered while going through this data. A report mentioning a certain confrontation. It seems the author has run into a little girl during her expeditions. A little girl with a single horn on her right front, going by the name of Eri."

This couldn't be happening. Aizawa had only been added to the Overhaul-investigative team two days ago. And yet, that one description sent a shiver down his spine.

"I fear there might be a connection between Dragon and the Yakuza leader Chisaki Kai, known as Overhaul. And it seems your student has been caught right in-between."

* * *

It was a Monday morning like every other. Izuku got ready, walked over to their classroom with Uraraka. They were neither late, nor particularly early. All seemed fine until they entered the classroom. A pressing atmosphere lay in the air. Aoyama and Ojiro both sat at their places in the front row, but their attention was directed to the back of the room. Tsuyu, Satou, Mineta Jirou crowded the girl's desk. More classmates watched them from their seats. The hand full of students that were always late weren't there yet, but neither were Iida and Yaoyorozu. That concerned Izuku.

"What's going on?" Ochako left his side and joined Jirou. He followed.

The usually quiet but easily flustered girl clenched her fists. She didn't look up. In her stead, Tsuyu turned to them, "Hikari is missing."

Izuku hitched a breath.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Ochako didn't believe her either. Tsuyu explained, "She didn't come back yesterday. Yaomomo and Kyouka-chan looked for her everywhere, but she doesn't answer her phone, and Aizawa-sensei can't be found either. Yaomomo and Iida are looking for him."

It couldn't be.

"Maybe she's just-"

"Ochako-chan," Tsuyu grabbed her by the hand. The rest of her words escaped Izuku. He stood, frozen, unable to move. He never liked the thought of Hikari going out, but she had been protected by U.A. staff, professional heroes, it didn't make sense…

"Everyone, please get to your seats." He hadn't noticed the rest of his classmates joining them, neither All Might coming up behind the teacher's desk. Sero gave him a slight shove, making him robotically walk up to his desk and sit down. His mind still wasn't ready to process the information.

"You might be wondering why I am here instead of Aizawa." No roll call.

"He is currently busy with his hero work." That never happened before. Despite working all night, Aizawa had never failed to crawl out of his sleeping bag for homeroom.

Iida's hand went up. Izuku hadn't seen him returning either. All Might narrowed his eyes at the class president. "Yes, young Iida?"

"They were not ready to give us any answers at the faculty lounge. Could you please inform us about why Shikogane-san cannot be reached since last night?"

Every single student tensed. They all turned from Iida towards the retired Symbol of Peace, looking at him expectantly. All Might could only withstand them for a few seconds. He sighed and rearranged the papers on his desk.

"I see there is no reason to withhold this information from you any longer. I regret to inform you that young Shikogane has been reported missing. I cannot give you any the details, but as far as we can tell, she was abducted on her trip by two villains known working for Dragon."

Izuku's worst fears manifested themselves.

"We do not know if it was a coordinated attack or simply a coincidence. Therefore, if any of you know-"

"It wasn't a coincidence." The words came over his lips, not loud, but unusually harsh. He stared at his sweaty, shaking palms.

"Young Midoriya," All Might began, "I know this is hard, especially for you, but-"

"I'm not saying this because _that man_ is involved," clenching his fists he had a hard time not slamming them on the table, "but he knows her, w-we faced h-him back in Onderon… H-he knows exactly who sh-she is, she helped me get away from him, i-if he gets to her…!" He couldn't finish the sentence. All the memories from Onderon washed over him; the second his whole world shattered at Dragon's revelations, the moment the flames touched him, the sickening smell of burnt flesh, the pain, the unstoppable pain…

Fingers dug into his shoulders.

"Midoriya, please breath!"

Oh. Iida's words brought him back to reality. Izuku gasped, he tried to calm his racing heart, his shallow breathing. He was panicking. Uraraka soothingly drew circles across his back, helping the process. By the time Izuku calmed down a bit, he felt ashamed. It had been calm the past few weeks. No more panic attacks, not until now.

As soon as Iida's grip disappeared from his shoulder, All Might, who knelt beside him, laid a hand on his arm.

"Young Midoriya, why don't you go by Recovery Girl? I will escort you. After that, when you're better, maybe you can tell us exactly what happened back in Onderon."

He had never spoken about the incident, not to anyone. Hikari delivered a detailed report he was supposed to go through, but Izuku had never found the heart to actually read it. He just handed it back, stating everything on it was true. Seems the girl had spared some details for him to tell.

* * *

Izuku went over the text once more. He knew it by heart now, and it didn't help the guilt in his chest to subside the tiniest bit.

 _hey, everything's fine, thanks. I'm with Neko. You take care, too._

Nothing was fine. His friend had been kidnapped and was held captive by his father, who wouldn't refrain from hurting, maybe even torturing her. And there was nothing Izuku could do. As much as it pained him, he had recalled his first meeting with the man who fathered him in front of his teachers and the principal, depicting every detail. The whole time, he subconsciously rubbed his burn scars.

Kacchan's kidnapping had been different. He had been taken right from under Izuku's nose. Thanks to Yaoyorozu's tracker, they were able to find him, rescue him. They almost got kicked out for their actions later, which he didn't care about, not when it meant he succeeded in saving his somewhat-friend. But this was different. He knew nothing. Not when, not where, nor how and why. No clues, no leads, just his mentor's words from this morning.

There was no missing person report. Not on any news page, not on the internet, nowhere. They tried to keep this under wrap. U.A. wouldn't simply do so to keep its image clean, there had to be more behind it. He trusted his teachers.

Still, he should have checked on her last night. He wrote her after dinner but didn't receive a reply. Since she had only answered with few words earlier, Izuku guessed she was still busy. He'd rather see her enjoying her time than looking at her phone, so he gave up texting her. A mistake he would possibly regret for the rest of his life.

* * *

She couldn't move. Pain throbbed through the back of her skull. There was a weird, stale smell in the air. She had immense trouble separating her sticky eyelids. Realizing the stiffness of her back came from its awkward bent forward position, she tried to straighten her posture. Something hard cut into her wrists. A surprised yelp escaped her.

"Finally awake. Did you sleep well?" A slick voice, all too familiar, demanded her attention. Hikari's head shot up. Her breath hitched as her eyes found the tall, raven haired super villain sitting on a chair not too far away.

"Dragon?"

The man chuckled. He got up and as he approached, Hikari panicked. She called upon her quirk, cutting through the zip ties securing her on the chair-

Nothing happened. She shook her head and tried again. Still nothing. What was going on?

"Don't push yourself," Dragon spoke, "it's no use. You can't activate your quirk."

It couldn't be. Hikari struggled to free herself, even her legs had been bound to the chair, she yanked her hands back, ignoring the zip ties cutting into her wrists, the chair cracked but she wasn't strong enough to break it. This wasn't happening. She tried again, almost causing the chair to fall to the side with her, when Dragon suddenly grabbed her left shoulder. The girl froze.

"No need to struggle. I won't hurt you."

 _Liar._

"It's the truth. I have no intention of causing you any harm. So, please calm down, stay quiet and this will be over very soon."

"What do you want from me?! If you think you can get to Midoriya by-"

The iron grip on her shoulder tensed. "This has nothing to do with my son. Don't you _dare_ mentioning him without my permission."

Interesting. Although Hikari shut her mouth, she noted that this was a subject she could easily use to provoke the villain.

"I'll be honest with you," he went on, "I'm not really interested in you as an individual. I do not appreciate what you did back in Onderon, but I am a very forgiving man." His grip on her shoulder stayed firm. "Though, I must say, the more I hear about you and your family, the more intrigued I am. So much drama. It's rather entertaining."

He didn't have to go into detail. As soon as the word _family_ came over his lips, Hikari knew. He had cut deal with her brother, maybe even her mother. She glared at the freckled face, cursing the few lines in there that reminded her of a certain other person. If Dragon thought she would just comply, he was wrong.

"Whatever he offered you, it can't be worth all the trouble." Dragon's nails dug deeper into her shoulder. She did her best to keep her expression under control.

"He didn't me offer anything. You see, your brother and I have done some business in the past which didn't turn out all too well. We got into a bit of an argument. But he's working with the League now, and they think they have some valuable information they're ready to trade. I rather enjoy giving them a run-around."

"...League?" What was he talking about? Hikari's clenched fists shook. She listened to him, drinking up every word he said, while trying to find a way out. Wherever she was, there was no way she would let him hand her over to her brother.

"The League of Villains. As I've heard, Neo Kumo is one of their newest recruits. But he demanded you in exchange for his loyalty. And the League wants him badly enough that they're ready to do business with me."

The League of Villains. Some of 1-A had had multiple run-ins with them. The other super-villain before Dragon, All for One, had been their leader. He had almost taken down All Might. The thought alone sent a shiver down her spine.

"Why are you telling me all this?"

Dragon smirked. His cold eyes did the rest. He knew she couldn't tell anyone, because she wouldn't make it out alive. His grip on her shoulder loosened. Despite every fibre of her body telling her to stay silent, Hikari practically lunged at him, "Whatever you're planning, it won't work!"

"Why? Because you're a hero in training now? Do you really think I fear your puny bunch? You were at Onderon, you saw how weak, unprepared they were. It was so easy to free you from their grasp. It's a pity, really. Seems the age of heroes has come to a close."

She had no idea why his comment stirred her up that much. The girl struggled against her shackles, her face only centimetres from Dragon's. But she didn't feel fear. In that moment, there was only rage. She had just now found her resolve to become a hero, she would not let a single man tear down her newly found world, not when she finally started to feel at home. Furious, she hissed at him, "Believe whatever you want, Dragon, maybe you're right about most heroes. But not everyone. And no matter what you do to me, one day, they will get you, and you will pay for what you've done. And who knows, it might just be your own son who finishes the business."

The man's expression didn't change. His fingers, in contrast, dug deeper into her shoulder than before. This time, she couldn't hide her flinch.

"What did I say before?" he reminded her, calmly.

"He's nothing like you, and he never will be. Midoriya already is a hero, he's always been, nothing you say or do will change that. Even if you kill me right on the spot, it will only strengthen his resolve. He will end your business, you will _perish_ like-"

Before anything else, Hikari registered the smell of burnt cloth, followed by roasted flesh. She only saw the fire flicker for a second, then the pain came, tenfold as strong as anything she felt before. She screamed. Her mind blanked out, by the time her vision returned, Dragon stood by the door.

"Treat her," he directed his demand towards someone Hikari hadn't noticed before.

"Yes, Boss." The voice belonged to Doom Fist.

"And if she makes you any trouble," the villain wiped imaginary dust off his jacket, "make sure she knows her place, but don't go too wild. I promised to hand her over alive and in one piece."

The door shut behind Dragon's back. Hikari was still gasping, barely holding it together. Large arms and hands came closer.

* * *

 _ **A/N:** **Thank you Idez15, Fox 1482, Rygger and rosariorwbyfan for the follows and favourites!**_

 _ **Don't forget leave a kudo or review to let me know whether you liked it or not! Also, how in depth do you want me to go into the whole Overhaul operation? There are some changes to canon that make certain confrontations important, but there are other parts that seem rather boring to anyone who's already red the manga.**_

 _ **Until next chapter**_ ~


	33. preparations

**Chapter 33: Preparations**

Everyone was on edge. They pretended nothing was wrong, going about their days as usual. No one mentioned the empty seat in the second row. There still wasn't anything in the news and Izuku doubted there would ever be. Aizawa-sensei turned up for his classes again, dark circles and the wrinkle between his brows more prominent than before. No matter how hard they tried to ignore it, an ever-growing tension filled the air. As if Izuku didn't already have enough to worry about.

 _All Might was going to die._

Eri was still with Overhaul, suffering all by herself.

Hikari was… He didn't know. He wasn't sure they wanted to know.

"Hey, you guys alright?" A few heads turned from their lunches to the student passing their table. It was Kendo Itsuka from class B, accompanied by Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu as well as another girl from their class.

"What's with all the gloom this week?", the boy wanted to know. "You look like someone died or something."

Izuku flinched, and he wasn't the only one. The reaction got the three class B students to exchange a worried look. Kendo faced 1-A again, lowering her voice, "Is it true, then? About the new student… There are rumours, but I didn't want to assume."

It was Yaoyorozu who turned to her rival, friend, or however their relationship could be titled, "Kendo-san… I don't think we should talk about this now."

Her eyes seemed to flicker to Izuku, but maybe it was his imagination. Kendo frowned, but Momo's vague evasion was answer enough.

"I see. You're probably right. I'm… We're sorry." She offered them a soft smile and left with her friends.

Silence returned, engulfing the whole table. The atmosphere was unbearable, and no one seemed ready to break it. To Izuku, salvation finally came in form of a text from All Might. He immediately collected his tray and stammered a quick excuse, not feeling hungry anyway.

* * *

A few hours later, backpack shouldered, Izuku descended the stairs in front of the dorm. According to All Might, there was an emergency meeting called by Sir Nighteye. Deep in his thoughts, he almost missed the voice calling out to him, "Yo, Midoriya! Where you going?"

Apparently, Kirishima was on his way to the parking lot at well. Narrowing his eyes, Izuku concluded that this wasn't a coincidence at all. Kirishima was interning at Fat Gum's, the same agency Togata's friend Amajiki did. He had heard the two seniors whisper about the case this morning, a very clear indication that Fat Gum was on it as well. This could only mean one thing.

Before they reached their destination, Uraraka and Asui joined them. Izuku had no doubt left by now. It proved true when U.A.'s Big Three arrived and they were all shooed into a small bus without explanation by Aizawa-sensei.

Luckily, no one mentioned the fact that they didn't go by public transport, like interns usually did. Instead, they fell into all sorts of wild conversations. Hadou, Uraraka and Asui were interning at Ryuukyuu's and from what he could tell, made a balanced team. Togata-senpai and Kirishima never failed to include Amajiki, who got along surprisingly well with the latter, considering their vastly different characters. Izuku found joy listening to them but had a hard time contributing. That, of course, didn't go unnoticed by Togata.

"I guess that means we're all working on the same case, right Midoriya?"

Taken aback, the freckled teen tensed. "Y-yeah, that's very likely."

As they went on discussing the possibilities, Togata's smile grew the tiniest bit strained. He wound himself out of the centre of the group and leaned over the backrest of his seat, turning directly to Izuku, "You okay, man? I know what we saw last time is hard to deal with, but you seem a bit off."

"I-it n-not that," Izuku waved it off, "I just- Well, I mean, it's _also_ that, a lot about that, but… I'm sorry, can we please not…?"

"Of course," Togata's smile was back, "don't want to pressure you into something. But if anything's up, we're here to help." His eyes were radiating warmth, compassion. Togata didn't seem to be the academically smartest person, but he did understand how to make people feel better.

Nighteye was right. He would have been the perfect candidate to succeed All Might.

It was hard for him to contain his excitement. For a moment, Izuku forgot about all his troubles. What he saw was a room full of top-notch heroes, people he had been admiring and analysing for so long! He didn't care about the others calling him out for his mumbling. How long had he waited for this? Less than a year ago, he would have never believed this moment would come.

He earned a few annoyed stares but before anyone could comment on his behaviour, Sir Nighteye called for attention, "I would like to consult with you today. As some of you know, we have been investigating in the case of the Yakuza group called the Eight Precepts of Death, led by a man named Chisaki Kai, also known as Overhaul. Our investigation has progressed considerably since the beginning of this week, and we came to the conclusion that this threat can no longer be ignored. We need to act, fast. Therefore, I would like to discuss our next steps."

This was real, they were going to do it. They were going to save Eri.

"For about three weeks," Bubble Girl filled them in, "the Nighteye Office has been on this case, observing, investigating." She turned to a large man with an insect type mutation to her left. He introduced himself as Centipeder and described in detail how he and the rest of the office came to work on this case, as well as how they believed this yakuza gang and the League of Villains might be working together. This couldn't get any worse.

After Centipeder's explanation, Bubble Girl resumed, "We wanted to request everyone's cooperation on this operation."

"And how exactly is that operation going to work?" One of the lesser known heroes wanted to know. The two sidekicks exchanged a nervous glance. Before they found an answer, Nighteye intervened, "First and foremost, it is a rescue operation."

Murmurs went through the rows.

"Also, a chance to put an end to this gang before they can expand their power and take over the underground."

"I do see your point here," the same hero from before spoke, "but what are these U.A. bratsdoing here?"

The black, bushy hair, the dark complexion, white mask and his judgmental character… Lock Rock, identified Izuku the hero. While he didn't know much more about the pro, he had a feeling working with him wouldn't be easy. He gulped again, feeling the sweat accumulating on his temples.

A chair flew halfway across the room and clattered loudly to the floor. Fat Gum, the big yet soft looking hero towered beside Kirishima, holding his arm protectively in front him and his other intern, Amajiki.

"That's enough! These are super important witnesses!"

Sir Nighteye adjusted his glasses, ignoring their little dispute. As if nothing happened, he carried on, "We believe that the Eight Precepts are responsible for the dispersal of an extremely dangerous drug. A drug-"

"That erases quirks," Fat Gum finished Sir Nighteye's sentence, still standing. "Just last week, during Red Riot's debut battle, Tamaki was shot and effected by this drug."

There was tremendous uproar. Amajiki had to demonstrate that he got his quirk back, showing that the drug's effect wasn't permanent. At least not yet, which seemed to be the heroes' biggest worry. A threat to the whole society.

"There were no anomalies in Tamaki's body, the only thing that got affected was his quirk factor, meaning, the quirk itself. Luckily, it healed and went back to normal. Also, thanks to Kirishima deflecting another bullet, we were able to analyse its contents!"

Fat Gum's praise got the redheaded intern to flush. The other U.A. students, including Izuku, albeit only with a smile, congratulated him. Even some of the heroes seemed to approve of the happening.

"As for what we found," Fat Gum's expression turned grim, admittedly a bit scary, as he announced, "the drug contained human blood and cells."

"In other words… It was deprived from a person's blood, or rather, their quirk," Ryuukyuu, the current number 9 hero, concluded.

Izuku froze. It didn't take a genius to figure out what that meant. A lot of the conversation that followed escaped his attention. For a moment, his brain overloaded, then it simply seemed to shut down. His mind was empty, he couldn't think. He only pulled himself together after Nighteye mentioned Overhaul again.

"My own interns encountered him and a little girl, apparently his daughter, last week. We were not able to find any clues on the girl's rightful identity yet, but her arms and legs were wrapped in many bandages. That, in combination with Chisaki's quirk, which can disassemble and reassemble any kind of target, lead us to one conclusion."

No one wanted to believe it. Eyes were wide in disbelief, not willing to grasp what horrendous things people were willing to do for power, money, or whatever it was Overhaul wanted.

"We believe they are planning to make the drug's effect permanent, and they most likely are very close to it. From what we know, early precursors were already utilized in the Onderon incident. There is no proof their goal will or can even be completed, but..."

"So, you're saying, if we take that girl under protection, this whole problem will be solved?" Nighteye offered Lock Rock a small nod. "Theoretically."

"And how do you think we'll be able to get her? It's not like he would keep her tucked away at their headquarters. I wouldn't. Have you at least been able to specify her whereabouts?"

"As a matter of fact, we have."

That was it. Izuku and Togata locked eyes, wild determination burning in them. This time, they would save Eri. They would never be able to call themselves heroes if they didn't. The picture on the screen behind Sir Nighteye, previously showing a photograph of Overhaul with his mask on, was replaced by a familiar set of buildings.

Izuku froze.

"Through another tragic incident at the end of last week, crucial information has been delivered to us. It included eyewitness reports and a lot of unprofessional but profound research done by an attendee. We are most certain that this girl, known by the name of Eri, is held or at least experimented on in secret underground laboratories at Seishin Academy."

"The school for Quirkless?!" Doubtful voices grew loud. Lock Rock challenged again, "An attendee? Why would anyone from _that place_ be willing to share with us? It's most likely a trap, that has to be expected, to say the least."

Izuku couldn't help but glare at the hero. He bit his tongue, aware that defending Seishin wouldn't leave the best impression. He wasn't in the position to oppose the pros.

Nighteye responded with an explanation, "The information was not directly and intentionally delivered to us, but through a middleman, who, not without loss, decided to hand it to us."

"A middleman?" Ryuukyuu inquired, demanding for more. Izuku's hair stood on end. Sir Nighteye sighed.

"Last Sunday, an U.A. student, befriended with our informant at Seishin, received the information. Only minutes later, said student was abducted by another group of villains. Thanks to their quick thinking, they were able to pass the data over to the heroes unnoticed. If an opposing villain group is so bent on obtaining this information, we have all the more reasons to believe in its accuracy."

Izuku felt dizzy. He vaguely noticed Togata-senpai grabbing hold of his shoulder, anchoring him in his seat.

"And who is that other villain group? How can you be sure that wasn't part of the plan to lure us-"

Suddenly, Aizawa was on his feet. He glared the other hero into the ground. "What are you implying?" His tone was sharp, cutting through the atmosphere like knives.

"An U.A. student befriending a Seishin student? That sounds ridiculous to me. We all know how those people think about us. Shouldn't we-"

"Is trying to close the gap between them and us, mending the relationship, not the exact progressive thinking our society needs?" Aizawa argued. No one dared to oppose his statement, they could all see the truth and need behind his words.

"What happened to this student?" Ryuukyuu wanted to know. Her eyes flickered to her interns. Both Uraraka and Asui tried to keep their cool, but their stiff posture spoke volumes.

"Her abductors are known to be working for Dragon, which makes sense considering he was using the early prototype in Onderon," more shocked faces turned to Aizawa, "her whereabouts are still unknown. An investigative team is working on it."

The hero sitting beside the U.A. teacher shifted. "Eraserhead, as much as it displeases me to say, it's been over almost three days, and we're talking about Dragon here-"

"We will find her soon," Aizawa was having none of it, "and if not, she will make it out on her own. I have no doubt about that." He didn't falter. His words were full of determination, he truly believed in what he said.

It helped Izuku to catch a breath again. His cramped fists were shaking under the table, but it helped. Knowing that his teacher had so much trust in her. Maybe he was right, Izuku shouldn't give up on her. She had escaped villains before, who said she couldn't do it again?

"If that's all," Sir Nighteye directed their attention back to himself, "let's continue. Our goal is to resolve the situation as quickly and effectively as possible. We will secure the girl Eri and rescue her. We'll provide you the specifics soon. Stay prepared and thank you for your cooperation."

* * *

She drifted in and out of consciousness. Sometimes, she felt a needle penetrating her skin, injecting whatever they were using to suppress her quirk. She could feel the foreign substance spreading, creeping through her veins, a burning hot liquid. The effect was the most unpleasant sensation one could experience. As if some part of her, a whole organ, was dowsed with blazing hot liquid, it slowly disintegrated until only lean leftovers were left, desperately trying to keep themselves alive. By the time it started regaining strength, the next injection came. She didn't know how long her body, especially her quirk, would be able to keep up.

Hikari didn't reject the gross mush they fed her with, neither the water. She needed whatever strength her body could muster up to escape. And she would. No matter how long it took, the chance would present itself, eventually. Even though she lost all sense of time staring at the dirty, blank walls, she knew it couldn't have been more than a few days. Her muscles were stiff and aching from the lack of movement, but she remained patient. It didn't matter if anyone came for her or not. Eventually, she would escape on her own, like she had done before.

And Hikari waited.

* * *

"Took you long enough."

Izuku blinked, not sure what he had expected. Neko sounded indifferent. Not because she didn't care, he suspected, but because showing her emotions was too much to handle. He didn't know what came over him, but as soon as the thought of calling her came to his mind, he rushed to his room to do so, ignoring the stares he earned once again.

"It was you who did the research."

"No shit, Sherlock. And?" And what? What did she want from him? What did _he_ want from _her_?

"Okay, if you're just going to keep silent, why'd you even call?"

Yeah, why did he? Why-

"I'm sorry," the word poured out of him, "I'm sorry!"

"Whoa, hey, Freckles-"

"I'm sorry," he apologized once again, the truth dawning on him, "It was my father. The people who took her, they are working for my father." He wanted to apologize. All this time, he felt like it was his fault. That maybe the whole thing with Overhaul wasn't the reason Hikari got kidnapped, but because she was his friend. Because Dragon knew he could hurt Izuku by hurting her.

Neko didn't answer for a long time. When she finally spoke again, her voice sounded the same as before, "I think… I think we're all at fault here. All of us. I gave her the dangerous intel, your father abducted her, those stupid heroes failed to protect her, also her brother wants her dead – Honestly, I… I thought this was going to happen sooner or later. It's not really a surprise, is it?"

Part of him wanted to argue, but he knew she was right. Izuku stopped pacing and plopped down on his bed, tangling the fingers of his free hand with his messy bush of hair. "I guess so."

"Good. Now that we're all thinking clearly again, let's discuss our next steps."

"Next steps?" he repeated, baffled.

"You don't think I'm just gonna sit around, do you? Or do _you_ just wanna sit around and mope? 'Cause damn, if you won't do anything, I'm gonna keep her as far away from you as possible. I can't believe she called you a friend."

"Of course, I wanna do something! But… You don't know him. You don't know what my father is willing to do." He pushed down the nightmares, the memories of Onderon that were still tormenting him at night. Somehow, he could feel Neko roll her eyes on the other side of the line.

"Couldn't care less. Anyway, got any idea how your dad knew when and where we met up?"

Izuku mulled over the possibilities. "I can't think of anything, she didn't tell anyone. Everyone was surprised when she suddenly left, I didn't even get to see her before…"

A horrible thought crossed his mind. He shook his head, scolding himself for even thinking about it. No, their training session wouldn't turn out to be the last time they ever saw each other.

"You're telling me only the school staff knew?"

"Yes, and not a lot of them either. All Might didn't know…"

"Wait, All Might is still working at your school?" Neko interrupted.

"Of course, he is! And- that doesn't matter right now! Uhm, I was… I-It were probably only the ones taking part that knew of your meeting. But you're not really thinking any of them would…?"

The Seishin girl tsk-ed, "Oh, yes, your stupid heroes would _neeeveeer_ do anything wrong, would they? I just _looove_ heroes."

Izuku felt attacked. He knew his teachers. He couldn't speak for everyone, especially after having met Lock Rock today, but he believed in them. "What about your side? Who did you tell about this?"

"Are you accusing _me_?" Finally, emotions soaked trough. " _I_ don't leave any tracks. Yotsune erased everything. He wasn't particularly happy about the situation, but there's no one more thorough than him."

So, that's where her new nickname for him came from. Remembering their earlier interactions, Izuku was a bit surprised Neko and him were still working together. Then again, he was good at the things he did, and without Hikari, Neko had to depend on other people for help.

Sighting, Izuku rubbed his front. "We're not getting anywhere like this. Can we just move on to- Neko-san?" It was strangely quiet. It took the Seishin student a moment to answer, "Sorry, gonna call you back later."

She hung up. No good byes, no time for him to react. Izuku blinked at his phone in confusion.

He was mumbling. Koda looked a bit weirded out as he passed him on the stairs. Izuku was too shaken by the whole mess they were caught up with. Eyes downcast, he didn't notice the group huddling together at the end of the table in the common area. They immediately fell silent, multiple pairs of eyes watching him while he took a can of soda from the fridge. Only as he ripped the lid off, his tired gaze met theirs.

"Uhm, guys? Is something wrong?"

Uraraka, Asui and Kirishima exchanged a nervous look. They all turned to Yaoyorozu who sat with Jirou beside Todoroki. What a weird combination. Izuku would expect them all to interact one on one, but not with each other as a group. There were no books in front of them, so no weird study session.

"Midoriya-san… Would you like to join us for a minute?" Yaoyorozu suggested, but it was more of a demand. Cold soda in his hand, Izuku plopped down on the free chair between Todoroki and Asui. They all silently stared at him, until he understood: These were the people closest to Hikari.

She often hung around Yaoyorozu and Jirou, Asui was her next-door neighbour. Hikari had also talked with Uraraka from time to time, mainly when she wanted something from him and the zero gravity girl and Iida happened to be there as well. Kirishima was probably here because of what they heard this afternoon. And Todoroki seemed to get along with her pretty well lately, ever since she joined him and Kacchan in remedial class. At least he had seen them exchange words more often.

"Midoriya-san," Yaoyorozu finally broke through, "you don't just want to sit around and wait either, do you?"

He almost laughed. Seemed like Neko wasn't the only one keen on doing something about the situation. But what was there to do? They knew who took her, when, how and possibly why, but not where they went. And, if everything was connected to the Overhaul case, he couldn't drag anyone who wasn't in the internship group into this. He couldn't afford to lose anyone else, especially not to _him_.

"Stop. Please, just stop," he begged, unable to face them. He could still see them shift in the corner of his eye.

Asui piped up, "Midoriya-kun, I know you have a lot to deal with, kero, and we know Dragon is dangerous, but from what we know…"

"We can't!" he argued and took a deep breath, trying to erase the desperation from his voice. Talking to them felt different than talking to Neko. It felt so real, they were here, sitting right in front of him, all of them ready to act.

"There's nothing we _can_ do."

"Midoriya-"

"Just _think_ ," he didn't let Yaoyorozu finish, "you remember what happened at Kamino, don't you? Are you willing to risk all of this happening again? He has already killed so many people, and don't get me wrong, I would never be able to forgive him or myself if he… If he…"

"Midoriya." They all turned to Todoroki, not having expected him to say anything. "Shikogane is a strong fighter and very intelligent, I've witnessed that plenty during remedial. She wouldn't have let them take her without leaving a clue. You're closer to her than anyone, do you have any idea why this man took her?"

He didn't know. Izuku saw the intern group tense, which didn't go unnoticed by the ones unaware of the facts. Jirou's frown grew deeper, there was a grim glint in her eyes. "You four know something, don't you?"

"Kyouka-chan… We're sorry, we can't tell you. It's related to our internships," Asui enlightened her. Yaoyorozu was taken aback by the response, Kirishima felt so bad for not being able to tell, he rubbed his scalp and groaned. Izuku watched the scene play out as a bystander, unable to participate. In a way it was heart-warming to know that some of the class cared enough, they would take the matter into their own hands, but he wouldn't let them. They had no idea what Dragon was capable of, and he wasn't even the real antagonist in Hikari's life…

Wait.

Hadn't Dragon's underlings in Onderon been after her brother? Once again, he had a sudden flash of insight. If Dragon and Neo Kumo were connected to each other and Dragon took her…

Izuku literally jumped to his feet. He didn't care that he startled the others. "This is wrong, we've all been going about this the wrong way."

"Deku-kun?" Uraraka questioned his behaviour, a worried look on her face. He didn't have time to explain. Turning to the vice class president he asked her, "Yaoyorozu-san, if Neko-san calls, tell her to look into Hikari's brother." It was all he could say without letting on too much. It wasn't his place to tell them about his friend's family situation.

Her eyes widened. She was the only one on the table who knew. "Mi-midoriya-san, you don't think…?"

"I need to see Aizawa-sensei."

* * *

By the time he knocked at the door of the teachers' lounge, Izuku was sure he was on to something. He was no longer confused but determined. Cementoss let him in, informing him that it was late, and they would close the building soon. He promised that it would only take a minute and marched straight up to Aizawa-sensei's desk. What he didn't expect, was to find a familiar, tired looking face.

"Shi-Shinsou Hitoshi?"

"Ah," the other student acknowledged him. "It's you." They awkwardly eyed each other for a moment, until Aizawa interrupted, "What is it, Midoriya? You should get some rest."

"It's, uhm, it's something about Hikari."

The teacher caught the implication. He turned to Shinsou, "That's all. I'll see you tomorrow."

The student hesitated. His gaze went from Aizawa to Izuku and back to his teacher. He opened his mouth to say something, but apparently decided against it. Frowning, he complied. "Good Night, sensei."

Izuku lifted his hand for a small wave, but the other didn't even spare him a glance. That was weird. And since when did Shinsou look that rough? Behind him, the door snapped shut.

"What is it, Midoriya?"

Right, he was here to talk. "I think there might be a possibility Dragon didn't even know about the whole Overhaul thing."

Aizawa raised a brow. He was probably thinking Izuku had gone mad. He sighed. "Midoriya-"

"Please let me finish," Izuku didn't waver, "back in Onderon, Dragon's men were after Neo Kumo. I don't know why, but those two clearly have some history together, and now that Neo Kumo has been seen in the news so often, I can't help but think that maybe, maybe Dragon took her because he needed some kind of leverage or something…"

It was quiet. Aizawa didn't move. Yet Izuku saw the gears turning in his head. If that was the truth, there was a likely possibility Dragon wouldn't touch Hikari. At the same time, it also meant that they would soon run out of time, there was no way knowing how long it would take the two villains to meet. Aizawa crossed his arms in front of his chest, pondering. After a while, he declared, "I'll look into it. Now go to sleep, Midoriya. You need to rest, don't forget your obligations, you're part of a hero agency now."

* * *

Inko Midoriya set down her groceries. Without Izuku home, the bags were almost empty. She tried not to think about it, but it was a bit lonesome. With a sigh, the woman unpacked, sorted, and started storing the items. With the sun setting, she had to put on the lights. The noise of the TV resounded from the living area, making the apartment feel a little less empty.

There was still some rice left in the steamer. She wasn't too hungry, so some fried vegetable would go just fine with it for dinner.

She felt a soft puff on the back of her head. She had closed all the windows before she left, hadn't she? The mother shook her head. Maybe the stress of her new job and the constant worrying about Izuku were getting to her nerves. So, she fetched bean sprouts from the fridge.

An inexplicable unease tore at her nerves. No, there were no shadows moving behind her back, it was just her imagination, nothing more. Everything was fine.

She pulled her sleeves back, getting ready to wash the vegetable, when cold fingers wrapped themselves around her neck. Darkness surrounded her, not allowing her enough time to scream.

* * *

Izuku groaned. How was it morning already? He had gone to sleep right after his talk with Aizawa-sensei. He woke up every hour or so, plagued by visions of Eri being torn out of his grip and sucked into a deep void with Overhaul towering above… Sometimes, a familiar voice whispered in his ear. Other times, he saw Dragon watch as Doom fist tossed the pale, lifeless body of his friend into a black abyss. Then Overhaul and Eri returned. The images had him tossing around in his bed, it was a miracle he didn't subconsciously activate One for All again.

A glance at the alarm clock told him it was just past midnight. But wait, if his alarm wasn't ringing, where did that noise come from…?

He bolted upright, almost tossing his phone off the headrest. For a moment he believed he was dreaming, seeing the number of Sir Nighteye's agency flashing on the display. He accepted the call and didn't get to say anything before Bubblegirl's voice informed him, "It is time."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Cliffhanger? ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)**_ _ **How did you like the chapter? Please leave a review and let me know! It's been awfully quiet on here and I can't tell if people are still reading or just too lazy to unfollow?**_

 _ **More importantly, thank you anonymica, ichi'nukenin-Namikazemaki, Yaboithat1guy and knigha123 for the follows/favourites!  
**_


	34. Until it's over

**Chapter 34: Until it's over**

It was a beautiful night, undeserving of the tragedies she knew were on their way. Kohana was alone. The woman had known for a while but watching the lights of the cars down on the streets flicker, reality caught up to her. She had lost so much. First her family which ultimately led to her becoming a hero, then her husband was killed. Not soon after her daughter neglected her and fled, now even her son left without her.

Maybe she deserved it. She had never been a good wife, much less a good mother, and the ones suffering had been her own children. She would give everything, her life, her soul, an eternity in damnation, if only she could turn back time. But that wasn't how things worked, and it was only fair that she bore the consequences now.

Her phone rang. With a sigh, the female villain picked up, "Right on time."

A chuckle came from the other side of the line. "Of course. The heroes are on the move. I've estimated how long the fight might take and rescheduled the exchange to 800. That should leave your son enough time to get back."

Despite not having a clue what the man wanted in return, Kohana agreed. For her children's sake. Whatever it took, she would not let them kill one another, no matter the cost.

"I see. I will be there."

"Excellent! Well, then-"

"One question," she interrupted the caller, "why are you doing this? You won't draw any benefits, it will only blow your deal with the League and get you in trouble-"

"On the contrary. The League has nothing to offer I don't already know."

"Then, why? It must have cost a lot tricking U.A."

"My dear Kumo," his slick voice dripped with false sweetness, "it is extremely tough to find anything aside from work that's worth my attention these days. With all due respect, your family offers the best entertainment I've had in years. Your story just needs a little push, and I'm willing to give one."

She had feared it might turn out this way. Kohana lifted her eyes to the clear black sky. Thousands of stars were twinkling above.

"This is all just a game to you, isn't it, Dragon?"

"I'll see you at eight, Kumo."

* * *

Ten more seconds until he would have fallen into the sweet depths of sleep. But no, lanky fingers pulled down the zipper of his sleeping bag.

"Aizawa, you need to come to the principal's office."

The teacher groaned. He had been afoot for almost thirty-eight hours, he needed rest. Any other day, he would have ignored his colleague. Tonight, Aizawa unzipped himself from the comfortable warmth of his mobile sleeping accommodation. He didn't bother to store it properly, simply tossed the yellow bag on his desk, not bothering the worry reflecting in All Might's eyes.

The two heroes marched toward the principal's office. All Might announced their presence by knocking. Completely on edge, Aizawa was ready to take in any news he'd get, good or bad.

They were told to take a seat on the couch across the principal. The bitterness of the coffee Nedzu offered them was the only thing keeping 1-A's homeroom teacher sane.

"There's more bad news, isn't there?" he guessed.

"I fear so. But there are some pleasant developments as well. Aizawa-kun, Sir Nighteye called a few minutes ago. He wants you to bring our students to the meeting point in roughly forty minutes. But before that, you will have a few tough decisions to make."

Coming from the principal, tough had to be an understatement. Aizawa braced himself for what was to come.

"About an hour ago, I received a call from the police department. It seems we have failed to protect yet another victim. I regret to inform you that Midoriya Inko has been abducted from her apartment last evening."

All Might gasped. Up until now, the ex number one had been the only teacher to physically interact with the woman. Aizawa had questioned his behaviour often enough, but the principal always approved of his requests regarding the Midoriyas. It was something to think about another time.

"They are already working on locating her and luck might be on our side for once. They have a vague idea where she could be held. Preparations are progressing, and I would like you, Yagi-kun, to oversee their work."

All Might didn't hesitate. "Of course! I will go right away. But, young Midoriya…"

"Looking at the state of things, I think it's best to let Aizawa-kun decide when the boy should be informed."

That caught the sleep deprived hero off guard. Why him? And what were all those decisions Nedzu spoke of?

"Aizawa-kun," the creature addressed him, "first of all, it will be your choice whether you want Midoriya-kun as well as any of the other students to participate in the Overhaul operation at all, considering the circumstances. Depending this decision, you have to choose when and how you want to inform Midoriya about what happened to his mother."

As if he had a choice. If he told his students to sit back and wait, they would do everything but that. He had seen enough of their reckless behaviour to know. And somehow, he speculated, Togata Mirio and the other two of the Big Three would aid his students in their crusade after a futile attempt to hold them back. To avoid disaster, it was his best bet to take them with him, where they at least stood under supervision. This also meant that he couldn't tell Midoriya about his mother, not before the operation. Ended. The teen was dealing with enough, Aizawa needed him to focus on the mission. Plus, he didn't want to find out how close he already was to his breaking point.

Summarizing his thoughts on the matter, he tried not to let himself be intimidated by the blue eyes piercing him with their glare. Luckily, All Might didn't argue, seeing the logic behind his reasoning.

"Now, to your last decision. There is a likely chance Shikogane-kun is held at the same location as Midoriya Inko. I will offer you the choice between continuing your work on the Overhaul case or," the principal's eye flickered to the Symbol of Peace, "if you'd like to accompany Yagi-kun to help with Midoriya Inko's and probably Shikogane-kun's rescue."

Even If guilt bubbled in his chest, he knew what he had to do. All Might was already there to comfort Mrs. Midoriya. And if his student had been right, Dragon wouldn't kill Shikogane. At least not yet. Aizawa trained her well, she would be able to hold on for a little longer. Eri, however, was a small, defenceless girl who needed their help more than anything in the world.

So, about thirty minutes later, he loaded his students into the bus to meet up with the rest of the Overhaul force.

* * *

His nerves were stretched to the max. Even their ever talking senpai Hadou didn't say a word. Izuku had chosen to sit on his own, with Uraraka and Asui in front, Kirishima on the two seats across and the Big Three behind. For what felt the twentieth time he checked his phone but found no news. Neko had promised to call again, hadn't she? Izuku shook his head. He needed to get himself together. Tonight, they would save Eri. Everything else could wait.

It was massive, no way no one took notice. Couldn't they at least try to be a little more subtle? Izuku's brows furrowed. He clenched his fists repeatedly, warming his muscles for the imminent fight.

"They already know we're here." Sir Nighteye appeared at his side, correctly guessing his thoughts.

"I-I see…" Not a good sign. The teen watched Fat Gum and Kirishima encourage Amajiki, much to the delight of a few policemen standing behind them. It eased his mind a bit, reminding him that somewhere out there, people were still happily enjoying their lives in peace. Noticing that Nighteye was watching him and had no intention of leaving, he questioned the man, "No offense, Sir, but don't you have somewhere else to be? Overseeing the preparations or something?"

The man gave him a bewildered look before adjusting his glasses and returning to his grim expression. "I guess you're right, Midoriya. Just make sure you focus on the mission and nothing else. This is probably our only chance to save Eri before they disappear, and we have to locate them anew."

"I'm aware, Sir."

"Good." With that, the pro left, leaving a baffled Izuku behind. He glanced over to Aizawa-sensei, but the teacher didn't behave any different, just looked more tired than usually. The man would know if something was up. Either way, he couldn't let doubt and suspicions distract him. Izuku shook his head and walked up to his teacher's side, seeing how the others were going into position as well.

They were in an unremarkable neighbourhood. Between ordinary apartment buildings stood a small maintenance cabin, fenced by a thick wall. It didn't look suspicious, a perfect hiding place for secret underground tunnels. Izuku was musing about why someone left a ladder leaning outside the wall, when the exact object came flying towards him. Instinctively he jumped and caught the ladder as well as the poor police officer who had been hit by it. As he landed back on the ground, he saw how his teacher had caught two more victims of the sudden burst.

A broad-shouldered figure stepped out of the dark hole it had torn through the wall. It lifted its arms, thick as tree trunks, for another attack. Izuku swiftly put the policeman down and made sure he wasn't injured too badly. There was a bit of pride swelling in his chest as the man thanked him and congratulated his fast reaction.

Suddenly, smoke engulfed the group. Izuku whirled around, only to find the hero Ryuukyuu emerge in her dragon form.

"It's Katsukame Rikiya, one of the Eight Precepts," the heroine hissed, "They know we're coming! The Ryuukyuu group will deal with him!" Her announcement brought movement into the group. Izuku would have loved to see her fight, analyse every detail of it, but he wasn't a simple fanboy anymore. First and foremost, he was a hero in training. It was his duty to move out and trust his admired colleagues. He just hoped nothing bad would happen to Uraraka and Asui.

They left Amajiki-senpai to deal with the three Precepts on his own. Ryuukyuu had stayed with her whole team to fight against one, how could one single U.A. student deal with three?

 _Focus. Get your head back in the game. Trust your friends._

Izuku took a deep breath. He didn't have the luxury to be subdued by panic. Not even when something hit him in the side, knocking the air from his lungs. He blacked out for a moment. He desperately gasped for air, until he realized the blackness wasn't a side effect of almost losing consciousness. He found himself in a pitch-black place, separated from everyone else.

"Sensei? Sir Nighteye!" No one answered. "Kirishima-kun! Anyone?"

Nothing. He heard muffled noises but couldn't identify their origins. Someone was fighting, very close. He had to get back-

The world was drenched in white. It blinded him, rendering him unable to fend off the first fist that hit him in the stomach.

"It's one of the intruders, only a brat!"

He would show them what _only a brat_ could do. Izuku eyes finally started adjusting and he evaded the next two hits. It only took one kick to send his attacker flying across the hallway, crashing into another thug appearing behind the next corner.

He was in one of the tunnels. Surrounded by grey cement, every wall looked the same. Thanks to the darkness and having all breath knocked out of him, he had lost orientation. All fighting noises had been silenced, and he had no idea how to get back to the others. But he couldn't just sit around and wait either. It left him with one choice. Izuku jumped over the unconscious bodies of his attackers and followed the tunnel in front with one goal in mind: finding Eri.

* * *

It was soft and warm, almost cosy. But the smell was… Alien, and yet, familiar. Nostalgic. Inko sighed.

"Good morning, my love." The voice struck her like lightning. She shot up. Inko scooped to the other side of the bed, as far away from the figure sitting by her side as possible.

"It's okay, my dear, you are safe. Nothing can get to you here."

He looked so different than on the footage. Different than she remembered. Older, but still handsome. His eyes had never been particularly warm, but there was something cold, almost icing to his gaze she didn't remember.

"Hizashi…"

Hizashi Midoriya, her husband, her son's father, but also the supervillain Dragon. The man she had loved so deeply, the man who had lied to her all her life.

"I know, it must be hard for you," he reached out, "it's been so long, but I'm back now-"

"You _hurt_ our son." No feelings from what felt like her past life could cover up the pain his actions had brought to them. Inko didn't flinch, she didn't back up further. Her eyes remained cold like his. Dragon hesitated; he was visibly taken aback. With a sad smile, he retracted his hand.

"I see. You need more time to adjust. This must be difficult for you, I know-"

"You know nothing," she didn't let him finish, "I don't need time! Whatever it is you want from me, get it over with and leave me and Izuku in peace! Don't you have any decency left in you?!" She was furious. What he did could never be forgiven.

Dragon's left eyebrow twitched. Yet, he remained calm as he spoke, "My love, all I want is for our family to be whole again. I just want you, me and Izuku, together. We can have everything we want. We-"

"There is no _we_. Look at you, look at what you've done! You… You're a villain! How can you think we would ever want this, any of this?!"

"Inko-"

"Don't call me by my name, _Dragon_ ," she fiercely opposed, "do whatever you want, but Izuku will never join you. He is a hero with every fibre of his being. And as much pain it has brought to me, I'd rather see him giving up everything to live his dream than letting him be smitten by the likes of you!"

Inko expected him to be mad. Instead, Dragon laughed. He drove his hand through his short, raven locks, a painfully familiar sight.

"That's funny. Your next-door neighbour said almost the same." With that, he got up on his feet. "Rest, I will come back later. You will eventually come to your senses."

Inko was left by herself. She caught a short glimpse of the two men guarding her door. Once it snapped shut, reality caught up with her. The woman sank back into the sheets, her body trembling. She had been… _Kidnapped_ by Hizashi… Her own husband… Dragon…

A sob rattled through her body. She felt so lost and alone….

No, she couldn't let those thoughts control her. She had to stay strong. She could cry all she wanted after this was over. Alone the though of her precious Izuku finding out what happened to her and what it would do to him gave her strength. She wouldn't let her son fall into despair, not because of Hizashi and her own weakness.

Inko wiped the tears from her face and forced herself into a seating position. Speaking of Izuku, what would he do in her situation? She allowed herself to look around the room. She was on a soft, king-sized bed. The furnishings looked luxurious yet simple. She still wore her clothes from last night, but fresh ones they had apparently taken from her apartment lay on the chair at the foot of the bed. There were no windows. She had no idea how much time passed since they kidnapped her. Was it day already, or still night? How long had she been out?

She touched her neck where she had felt the gold grip before passing out. It didn't hurt, there didn't seem to be any bruising. A quirk maybe? She went on with her observations, tried not to panic, when a loud crash and an earthquake almost sent her falling off the bed.

* * *

Everything looked the same. Izuku had no idea where he was going. Sweat was tickling down his front. He was spending far too much energy running around like an idiot. The hero in training came to a halt, he needed to think. He turned left twice, three times right. But without any clue from where he started, he had no chance finding out where he was. How much time passed since they had been separated? Were the others okay?

There was movement in the corner of his eye. Not a second too late, he ducked. A shot echoed through the hallway, and a bullet embedded itself on the wall in front of him. Seriously, a _gun_? He jumped, again barely avoiding a bullet. This wasn't good. He saw a man crouching behind the corner he just came from. Izuku needed to knock him out as soon as possible. If only he had a long-range attack…

There was a loud thud. The gunner crashed face first into the floor. The end of a bat hovered where the man's head was a second ago. A big, familiar body emerged, casually placing the bat on one shoulder.

"Yo, Freckles."

His eyes had to be deceiving him. It was impossible. "Yo-Yotsune-san?"

He heard a smacking sound and another familiar face from his time at Seishin appeared, having just slapped the other on the back of his head.

"Neko-san?! Wha- How?"

"Hello, Midoriya," she greeted him with false cheerfulness. They were both fully clad in black with small bags strapped to their backs. "Sorry 'bout the confusion and thanks for the distraction! Guess more heroes are around somewhere. They still found us earlier than expected. Sorry 'bout that gunner, I don't think he was looking for you."

Taken aback, he had no clue how to react. Why and how on earth were the two of them here?

"Come on, what are you standing around like that? Don't you have someone to save?" the girl slapped his shoulder, ripping him from his irritated state. Izuku shook his head, senses returning.

"You're here for Eri…?"

"You bet. Guess the info reached you, then. If there's nothing I can do for Hikari, we can at least do something for that girl. And Yotsune has some amends to make. Now, follow me, this way." She turned back to where the two of them had come from and threw a glance over her shoulder. "What are you waiting for?"

Izuku followed, still in denial. He didn't understand half the things she had said but he could question them later. There was one thing he had to remind them of, though, "This is dangerous, you shouldn't be here! People are fighting all over the place, there's a major villain here who can destroy and kill only by touching-"

"I don't care. Everything here went to shit anyway. This fight will probably bring down the school for good, and I'm not as mad as I should be. Maybe it's for the better."

Izuku slowed his steps. "What do you mean?"

"Don't tell me you haven't heard?" The girl reached back, grabbed him by the arm and dragged him along. "The anti-quirk provisions. The quirk purges they do at the beginning of every year? People are going insane about that, all out with demos and such. It's only a matter of time until the state either rebuilds the whole school administration or closes the academy."

"I read about it, but I didn't know it was that serious!"

Neko clicked her tongue. "Naïve little heroes, are we?"

He had nothing to offer in return. Izuku picked up his pace again.

They ran into a hand full of thugs, nothing worth the mention. The number of weapons they brought was concerning though, making Izuku wonder how many of them were quirkless. Chisaki was working on a drug that could permanently erase quirks, so it shouldn't surprise him. Also, the though of him working underneath a school for quirkless suddenly didn't look far fetched anymore. Could someone with such a strong quirk actually _hate_ quirks?

Behind Izuku, Yotsune was heaving. But he held on showing uncharacteristic determination. Neko led them up the stairs and stopped in front of a parting.

"I don't remember- Yotsune, which way?" Neko questioned. Sweat was glistening on her front as well and she was breathing, although not as heavily as Yotsune. The boy reached the top of the stairs at last, where he crashed onto the floor "C-can't-"

"Don't you dare to quit, you little fuck!" Since when was Neko talking to him like that? "You haven't atoned for anything yet!"

There it was again. What had he done? Why did Neko treat him this way?

"I-I-I c-can-n't-"

Neko whirled around. She hoisted the other Seishin student back on his feet by the collar of his shirt, her face twisted in anger.

"L-let me-me g-go…"

"Neko-san," Izuku stepped in, "whatever problem you have, this is not the time to fight-"

"Shut it," she spit, "you don't get any say in here, _hero_. I'm only trusting you because Hikari does. You wanna know what this little shit did? Come on, tell him, pervert, tell him what you did!"

"Ne-ne-neko…!"

She ignored his pleading. "Fucking tell him!"

Neko threw the petrified teen towards Izuku, who caught him before he could stumble. To his surprise, Yotsune pushed him away as soon as he regained his footing. Horror was written over his face, his eyes were wide, brows knitted together, the corners of his mouth drawn downwards.

"Tell him," came another cold whisper from behind. Yotsune winced. Ultimately, he confessed, "I did it!"

Izuku was just confused. "What?"

"I did it! I told them. They – The threatened me – I t-told them w-w-where Nek-ko and Sh-shikogane were m-meeting…"

The ground beneath his soles seemed to shift. For a moment Izuku thought the warp quirk villain was back, then he realized it was his head. Yotsune trembled in front of him, avoiding looking at either of them, his posture screaming with shame. It had been him. He had sold Hikari to his father.

Izuku didn't feel anything. Was he supposed to be mad? Sad? Angry? He didn't know. He turned his back to the two Seishin students and tried to shake the nausea from his head.

"Let's just… Get on…" He heard his own, monotonous voice say. Eri, Eri. He had to concentrate on finding Eri. Whatever feelings were starting to build up in his stomach, he had to bottle them up until this was over. Uraraka, Asui, Kirishima, Togata-senpai, Amajiki and Hadou, Aizawa-sensei, Sir Nighteye and all the other heroes were still out there fighting somewhere, and it was his duty to help them. He heard the other two walk up to him, when a voice demanded their attention, "What a heart wrenching scene."

The three teens tensed, all whirling to the direction it came from.

"I didn't expect to find the two… Three? Of you here, but what a pleasant development. We still have a score to settle. Especially you, _Deku_."

Long black legs crawled towards them, revealing the murderous grin of none other than Neo Kumo. "Don't look so surprised, boy. My new employers have quite the file on you. I think I might really enjoy killing you here, even if Shigaraki-kun doesn't approve. And it would rile up Dragon, which I'd like to see more than anything else. I'm having a little date with him later today, which my sister will be attending as well."

Shigaraki. Tomura Shigaraki? What did he have to do with the League of Villains? And Dragon… Izuku had been right about him. He was trying to hand Hikari over to Neo Kumo. The villain's statement arose so many questions, Izuku hadn't time to ask a single one. He heard click to his left. Horrified, he found barrel of a gun pointing at the villain.

"Don't you think I came unprepared, you son of a bitch," Neko snarled, gun loaded. "You're the reason all I built over the years broke into pieces. So, if not only for Hikari, I'll kill you for that."

"Neko-san! What are you doing?! We have to stop him, but you _can't_ _ **kill**_ _him_!" As bad as Neo Kumo was, Izuku couldn't let Neko _kill_ someone, not even him. But he fell on deaf ears. As soon as Neo Kumo was in range, Neko pulled the trigger. Not even with One for All he was fast enough to knock the weapon from her hands. The shot echoed through the hallway. Distraught, Izuku turned back to Neo Kumo, only to find the man grinning. One of the strings of black matter that made up his legs stirred in front of him. Something flashed, and the bullet clattered to the ground.

"Do you think I didn't come prepared? You quirkless nothings are just ants waiting to be crushed, weapons or not."

Neko gasped. Her eyes were wide in shock. Izuku needed them to leave, he couldn't fend off the bad guy _and_ protect them, he wasn't strong enough. A sound from above caught his attention. He had an idea. "Neko-san, Yotsune-san, please run! I'll distract him!" he ordered.

"Distract me? Don't get cocky, boy-"

Izuku jumped. This time, Neo Kumo wasn't prepared. Izuku's foot connected with his temple, sending the man staggering backwards. While he prepared for another kick Izuku prayed the Seishin students were following his command. He couldn't avert his eyes from Neo, the villain was too dangerous. The man recovered too soon and shot his legs towards Izuku who narrowly escaped by jumping towards the ceiling. Bingo.

The cement broke beneath his iron soles, boulders rained down. Neo Kumo screamed. Izuku landed on a big piece of the broken debris and used the spit of a second his feet connected with the cement to push himself further up. He entered the newly built hole darted across the floor above, he landed not too far from the entry with no doubt that Neo Kumo would follow. He took in his surroundings and his gaze landed on a familiar hero he immediately rushed towards. "LockRock!"

"Deku, DUCK!"

Before his eyes, LockRock's face melted away, revealing the features of Toga Himiko. He wouldn't have been able to block the knife, but Aizawa-sensei's capture weapon wrapped itself around her middle, yanking the girl across the open space where she disappeared in a hole in the wall that closed as soon as she went through. Izuku didn't have time to think about what happened. Long, black legs crawled out of the hole, and Neo Kumo ascended elegantly. Izuku took a leap to get away from him and landed beside his teacher.

"Sensei!"

"I'm fine." He was holding his shoulder, where blood drenched his black suit. "Looks like you've brought more company." They both turned to Neo Kumo. The villain smirked, not doubting to win against the two heroes.

"Sensei, Dragon really is planning to hand Hikari over to Neo Kumo," Izuku informed his teacher, "a-and I think he's working for the league now! If we arrest him here-"

"Do you really think you can stop me? Even if you make it out alive, you'll be too late. It's time to end this-" Neo Kumo didn't get to finish. Everything around them seemed to melt. The warping quirk villain was back. They were tossed around like snowflakes in a storm, somewhere Izuku caught a glimpse of Sir Nighteye as well as Toga Himiko, meaning they were all brought together. He heard voices crying out but didn't know who they belonged to. He dashed from column to column coming out of seemingly everywhere. This nightmare just wouldn't end.

Someone yelled from behind. But there was no one there, unless… His foot embedded itself in the concrete. He heard a surprised yelp and a man fell out of the cracked wall. Izuku pushed himself off, he barely managed to catch the man before he crashed into the ground. The world around them stopped moving. He did it. He caught the warping villain.

Two police officers appeared beside him. They quickly got their capture bands ready and began cuffing the villain. Sir Nighteye stood not too far away, his white suit shredded. The head of the police force supported Lock Rock who seemed too injured to continue. Were they the only ones left?

At last, he spotted Aizawa-sensei. Izuku rushed to the man, "Sensei, Neo Kumo-!"

"It seems the League has disappeared." Sir Nighteye stated. A hand landed on Izuku's shoulder. "Get hold of your emotions, Deku, we're on a mission. And I told you to call me by my hero name."

"I-" No, Aizawa-sensei was right. He had to focus on finding Eri. Izuku gulped, he bit his quivering lip and turned to Sir Nighteye.

* * *

 _ **A/N Thank you .schoetter, ZeroTailedJinchuriki, Ecko072, Carbon73, ImagineXtreme2kO, Gofla, Corporal santon and Adrien skywalker for the follows and favourites!**_ _ **Also thanks to all the other silent readers still lurking around!**_


	35. kind and gentle - clash

**Chapter 35: kind and gentle / clash**

The cold air of the night filled his lungs. He saw stars twinkling - no, these were city lights - beneath him. Around him was nothing, he soared through the open space, until gravity started to pull him back down. Something moved on the ground. A person screamed. Just now Izuku remembered that a second ago, he was still underground in a system of tunnels under Seishin Academy, now he was up in the air, coming down in midst of the Academy's grounds. But he remembered pushing himself off hard enough, it should have shattered his legs. And yet, Izuku landed, while Eri yelped on his back. In a desperate attempt he had managed to catch the girl and draw her away from Overhaul. Sir Nighteye was still somewhere in the mess underground, _impaled - oh god -_ by Overhaul's spikes. Togata-senpai had lost his quirk in a desperate attempt to save Eri. He was injured und unable to move, which only left Izuku to the girl's defence.

Right, the girl. Eri's quirk. Overhaul said it was the ability to rewind things. Was it possible that she had undone the damage One For All had caused to Izuku's legs? It seemed like the only explanation. Not only that, it also gave Izuku hope. There was a way he could still fight. A way he could protect Eri until backup arrived.

Inhuman noises came from the big black hole in front of him. It looked like a meteor had crashed into the school ground and ripped a hole right through the core of the planet. Only now the U.A. student noticed the crowd forming around it. Students in their nightwear surrounded the area, not afraid enough for his taste.

"EVERYONE GET AWAY FROM HERE! THERE IS A VILLAIN DOWN THERE!" Izuku screamed with all his might, causing at least a few of the students close to him to back up. But it wasn't enough.

"Please, listen to me," he tried again, "you have to evacuate!" But it was to no avail. The students only eyed him warily. He didn't have the authority. Even if he had been a full-fledged hero, this was Seishin Academy, they wouldn't trust him. Not even the few familiar faces he believed to make out in the crowd.

Izuku panicked. Eri's tiny body shook on his back, most likely out of fear, and no one was listening, no matter how much he begged. Something moved inside the big hole in front. He was running out of time, he couldn't let Chisaki hurt any of the students...

"You've heard him!"

He never would have believed to ever feel relieved hearing that voice.

"Back up, idiots!"

Further down his right, Neko and a worn out Yotsune shoved themselves through the crowd. "Get your lazy asses away from here if you don't wanna die!"

Their eyes met. Izuku put as much gratefulness into his expression as possible. Neko only gave a sharp nod, but people started to move. They listened to her. Hikari hadn't been joking when she mentioned Neko controlled most of the school.

Suddenly, a sharp pain flared up inside his body. Izuku bent forward, clutching his arms. What was happening? Where did it come from?

"Even if she managed to help you this one time, Eri can't control her power at all." Out of the hole ascended a… A _thing_ , he had no idea how to call it - it moved like a living being out of a horror film, but it was made out of concrete, earth, metal, and everything else than flesh - and somewhere in front, Chisaki's torso came out of it. He was _part of it_. The beaked mask had fused with his face again and the sound of his voice shook Izuku's core.

It was an abomination. A word Izuku wouldn't willingly use, but it was all that came to his mind. A monster. It sickened him to the bone.

"She could probably rewind you into a monkey, if she could control her power. More likely though, she will turn you into nothing. She can't control it, one touch and you're doomed, it's a curse, really. Return her to me and you might survive."

"No way, Never!" The pain was gone. Izuku rose to his full height, he could still kind of feel Eri's quirk pulsing through his body, but it didn't hurt anymore. He activated One For All, ready to take on his opponent once more.

"Her quirk, it's not a curse. It's kind and gentle." He felt Eri's grip on him harden. "Even now, she's constantly healing my body. Which means," Izuku widened his stance, ready to launch an attack, "I can face you with my full power without getting any backlash. And to that end… Eri… Will you lend me your power?" His voice grew soft as he addressed the girl. She didn't say anything, but he could feel her round chin poking into his shoulder as she nodded hesitantly.

"Thank you, Eri. Together, we will end this. You won't have to suffer any longer. I'll save you, that's a promise."

Power was radiating from his body. It seemed to cover him completely, tinting his vision green. Overhaul leashed out, stabbing holes into one of the buildings. Huge junks were torn off and crashed into the ground. For a moment, Izuku considered making sure that no one got hurt, but he didn't have time. Also, he caught a glimpse of a few heroes arriving. They knew what they had to do, and he trusted them to do it well. He had to focus on saving Eri, meaning, defeating Overhaul.

He never knew using his quirk to its currently full strength would feel so liberating. Just the tiniest push rocketed him into the sky. A single kick sent Overhaul's monstrous form that had the size of multiple story building flying into the air. Fast as he was now, he was able to evade all the Yakuza's attacks. The size had made his enemy slower. Izuku ignored the unpleasant stabs of Eri's ever stronger growing quirk, and the possibility that she might do more harm than good in the end. He grabbed the monster by one of its many feet, hands, or whatever that limb was, and tossed it back into the hole they both came from. Chisaki tried to counter, but Izuku was faster. The teenager was already behind the Yakuza, embedding his fist in his back. He could not let Chisaki get enough time to recover. They danced around each other, Izuku in top shape as all his injuries were instantly healed, while Overhaul had barely time to react.

The boy wrapped his arms around one of the monster's limbs. He yanked it over his shoulder, sending it towards the hole in the ground again, this time successfully. He seemed to hover in the air while Chisaki crashed. Still part of the monster, the man's torso stopped moving. Multiple parts of the creature seemed to be flickering green, but Izuku was too occupied landing on the ground to notice it, eyes fixed on his enemy until he was sure the man could under no circumstances move again.

He deactivated One for All. The heat and green tint left his vision. Was that how it would feel once he got One For All fully under control?

"Eri, are you injured? I'm sorry, I endangered you because of my-" The soft aches of the girl's quirk intensified and all of a sudden, they were everywhere, strong enough to make him scream. Izuku sunk to the ground, unable to think, consumed by pain-

When he opened his eyes only moments later, Eri was slumped against his back, unconscious. He probably had lost consciousness too, judging by the things happening around him. Now that the pain was gone, he felt fine. More than fine, actually... His costume was torn, his gear damaged and broken, but his body whole. People were all around him, police officers, paramedics, battered heroes. Their surroundings reminded a battlefield - they _were_ a battlefield, his battlefield - windows shattered, buildings cracked and riddled with holes. Trees and posts had snapped, muddy brown spots were left where he remembered lawns to be. Here and there he saw students peak around corners. The police did their best guiding them to a save camp outside school grounds.

Under the curious eyes of everyone around him, Izuku picked Eri up and carried her over to the closest paramedics.

* * *

The vases on the sideboard clattered. The ground shook, almost throwing Inko off the bed. It stopped as quickly as it came, leaving the woman fearfully listens for any incoming noises. It didn't take long for the next quake to rattle the bed. It didn't feel natural though, more like… Was someone fighting out there? Could it be… Could it be that people had already been looking for her? Were the heroes here?

Everything came to rest. Anxiety nagged at the woman's sanity, but she had to stay strong. What would Izuku do in her situation? Definitely not panic and hide in a corner. Her son was strong. He would probably fight his way out and help someone else along the way, because that was just who he was. But Inko wasn't that strong. She couldn't fight, she was no hero, just a mother and wife who didn't even register her own husband's dark tendencies. Her eyes began to water.

She endured another earthquake before she collected herself enough to get up on her feet. Supporting herself by leaning against the wall, she found her shoes in a corner and slipped them on. Shakily, she wandered towards the door and pressed her ears against the cold metal.

Nothing. The hallway was silent. She gulped again and braced herself, before pressing the handle down and peeking outside.

The guards were gone, the floor was empty. This was her chance. But could she really do it? What even were her chances? What if she ran into any of the villains? There was nothing she could do. They would just toss her back into the room and lock her up for good...

No. She couldn't despair. She had to get back to Izuku. The thought of her son gave her strength. The woman stepped outside, took a good look around and tiptoed down the hall. Inko passed the door next to hers, when she remembered something Dragon had mentioned earlier. Something about her next-door neighbour and Izuku. Inko's room had been the last one down the other direction, so it had to be this door. Some part screamed _trap_ inside her mind, another couldn't ignore the possibility that something important was in there. She chose to follow the later. As before, she pressed down the handle. Luck seemed to be on her side. It was also unlocked, not even properly closed, someone must have left in a hurry.

The room was almost empty. A single spot lamp on the ceiling was pointed at a chair in the middle, and there was a person strapped to it, head awkwardly bent forward like they had fallen asleep. Her heart sank at the sight. The only other thing in the room was a trolley table with a bowl, some phials and strange devices on top. Inko opened the door some more to get a better view, but it creaked far too loudly. The head of the other prisoner shot up, bright golden eyes locking onto her.

It was a girl. A _child_ , probably around Izuku's age. Her black shirt was torn on one side, revealing fresh bandages. She was pale and had dark circles under her eyes, lots of small cuts and bruises littered her skin. Her hair hung lifeless into her face, giving off an almost eerie aura.

"Who are you?" the girl asked with a raspy voice before falling into a coughing fit. Her mother instincts kicked in, and Inko rushed to her. She fanatically looked around, found a water bottle on the lower shelf of the trolley table and held it towards the girl's lips. Said girl didn't refuse, simply drank half of the bottle in one go and stared at the woman in disbelief.

"You're not one of his, are you?"

Inko still couldn't find her voice. She watched as the girl narrowed her eyes, recognition flashing over her face. "It can't be… Are you…? Are you Midoriya's mother...?"

Dragon hadn't lied. Finally able to part her lips Inko croaked, "Y-yes..."

The girl suddenly seemed wide awake.

"No, this isn't good, this can't be happening!" She tore at her restrains, the ties cutting deeper into her bruised, bloody wrists. Inko winced, slapping both her hands in front of her face in horror.

"Midoriya-san, please calm down! We-" Another earthquake interrupted them. The water bottle slipped out of Inko's hand and spilled its contents across the floor. Voices echoed in the hallway outside the door.

"Quick, close the door and hide somewhere!" the girl ordered, her eyes surprisingly clear. Inko obeyed, but there wasn't any real hiding space for her.

"Behind the trolley!" the girl hissed. Inko's heartbeat quickened, she was so close to fall into panic. The woman ducked behind the furniture, not a second too early. The door flung open, heavy steps approached. Whoever came stopped. For a bone crushing eternity, nothing happened. Then, the girl nonchalantly asked, "Hey there, big arms. Mind telling me what brought the apocalypse upon us?" There was no fear in her voice.

"Shut your fucking mouth, tiny spider. None of your business," a man's voice growled. He apparently started pacing around the room. Inko's heart dreaded to break out of her chest, it was pounding so loud she wondered if the villain heard it too. The steps came closer. She held her breath, pressing a hand over her mouth and nose. He would find her. There was no way he wouldn't notice her. Inko's whole body shook so hard, she feared the trolley was shaking with her. The steps grew louder and louder, the sound burning itself into her senses-

"You're pathetic, you know that?"

The man stopped in his tracks. "What was that, spider bitch?"

Judging by his steps, he moved away from her. Inko's heart screamed for her to step in, but her brain commanded her to stay still. Her legs wouldn't move. She dared to peek around the corner and her eyes found the broad back of a massive figure, arms thick and long enough they almost reached the floor. The woman's eyes landed on a knife strapped to his belt. She didn't think twice. Inko raised her hand and drew her fingertips together. The knife moved. So did the villain and for a moment, she feared he noticed her attempt, but the man only took another step towards the girl.

"What. Did you. Say?"

No, she couldn't give up now. Inko tried again. This time, she drew the weapon from its sheath and directed it towards her. The object levitated in the air, slowly coming closer.

"I said you're pathetic. Having to take away a little girl's quirk because you're afraid you can't beat her when she has one."

Without warning, a loud crack could be heard, it was followed by an agonizing yelp. Tears swelled in Inko's eyes at the sound. She caught the knife and held it close to her chest, all while listening to the girl whimpering. The villain walked again. Inko pressed her back to the trolley, the cold metal bars sending additional shivers down her spine.

"Let that be a lesson. I'll come back once those pathetic heroes are down." A few more steps echoed through the almost empty room, then the door shut with a loud bang. For ten awful seconds Inko waited, listening to the heaving of the girl, before she scrambled to her feet, knife still in her sweaty hands.

The girl was slumped forward as much as her restrains allowed, there was something dripping from her face into her lap. Horrified, Inko approached and carefully helped her up. The mother shrieked. There was a big, bloody mess in the centre of the girl's face.

"'S okay," the girl lulled, clearly not okay, "just… Need a moment…"

There was no way for her to hold back a sob. Inko noticed she was still holding the knife and wasted no time cutting the zip ties around the girl's wrists and ankles. At the last second, she got hold of the girl's arms before she could touch the wound.

"Don't touch your face!" Golden eyes met hers again, this time full of pain. There was something mesmerizing about those almost glowing orbs... A shocking revelation hit Inko. She remembered her son's words. "You're Hikari, aren't you?"

Nothing came in return, but the expression was enough. It was even more insufferable to see the girl hurt, now that Inko knew it was one of her son's closest friends.

"Oh my god, Izuku told me so much about you! I'm so glad you're alive, Izuku has been so worried!"

"Mi-Midoriya… san...," the girl, Hikari, interrupted her, voice nasal, "we… We have to get out of here…" She tried to get up, but her knees immediately gave in. Inko was able to catch and support her.

"Hi-Hikari-san, you really shouldn't-"

"Take... The knife," the girl ordered, "this is our chance... Doom Fist mentioned heroes... They're probably here to save you... But I don't know if they can get through to us... We have to get as close to them as possible..."

* * *

Hikari felt like a truck ran her over. Everything hurt, she could barely breathe, every step was full of agony and she couldn't even stand without Midoriya's mother's support. She pressed an ear to the door, not catching anything. "I think... We're clear."

Luckily, the door was still open. Peeking outside, she found an empty, dimly lit corridor. At the rear end, the red light of surveillance camera caught her eye. She turned back to Inko, "You have... Some kind… Of levitation quirk... Right?" She couldn't speak more than a few words before having to gasp for air.

The woman nodded. "I-I can d-draw small objects towards m-myself."

"That's… That's good. Can you… Draw the backside of that camera towards us… So, it will face away from us?

"I, I don't know…" Inko looked terrified.

Against the protest of her cheeks, Hikari forced a smile on her face. "I know you can. You... made it this far. You unarmed a dangerous vi-villain… You freed me... You've already done more than you can imagine... Together... I'm sure we can get out of here… Your son is waiting."

Inko's eyes grew wide. They lit up as soon as Hikari mentioned Midoriya, and resolve settled on her features. "Okay, I'll try."

"Thank you... You're doing great."

Hikari opened the door a little further, allowing the woman behind her to see. Inko focused, activated her quirk and nodded.

They, very slowly, staggered down a carpeted floor. Muffled noises came from everywhere and they feared to be found any second. They barely managed to duck behind the corner a few times, evading men and women, villains by the look of it, running up and down. It wasn't clear whether they had already noticed the two prisoner's disappearance.

Hikari crashed into the man with her full body weight. She wasn't heavy, but it caught him off guard. He lost his footing, stumbled over the doorstep and fell. His head smacked against the half open door. It gave off an unpleasant sound. The man hit the floor and he didn't move again. Praying that he was only unconscious, Hikari dragged Inko after her, slowly gaining feeling for her limbs again. They had no idea where to go, how to find an exit. So, their best bet was to go up, where they hopefully found access to the roof. If the heroes where really out there looking for them, there was a high chance they might be on the lookout from above. What better place to draw their attention, then?

The women quickly ducked behind the next corner, more of Dragon's men ran past them, luckily not taking notice. It was a miracle they hadn't been caught yet. Looking over her shoulder, Hikari found Mrs. Midoriya looking confused and scared. She forced a smile on her lips, ignored the blood running over them and dripping down her chin, and encouraged the woman, "It will be okay… We're getting out of here. "

The woman gulped. She was visibly terrified, her shoulders shook, but she nodded slowly.

"You're doing great, Mi-Midoriya-san. We... We can do this. I... Wouldn't be able to call myself Midoriya-kun's friend…. If we didn't."

The woman's face softened the tiniest bit. "Inko,' she stated.

Hikari was confused. "What...?"

"Inko," Midoriya's mother repeated herself, "you can call me Inko. I-I think it's e-easier, cons-sidering the circ-cumstances."

Hikari didn't remember any adult offering her to call them by their first name. Much less a parent of one of her friends, heck, she didn't even have friends except for Neko before U.A. Perplexed, she opened her mouth, at loss for words. Only fast approaching footsteps reminded her that they were still being hunted. She grabbed Mrs. Midoriya - Inko - by her sleeve and dragged her along. Even if her walk was more of a stumble, it went well for another hand full of minutes. Inko managed to distract another one of Dragon's men by shutting a door with her quirk, which cost her a great much of effort and energy, but they made it past him. They moved, found a set of stairs, where Hikari had to trip a woman coming for them, but they made it. They escape seemed more probable each step.

Something moved in the corner of her eye. At the last second, Hikari pushed Inko away and threw herself to the ground. The wall to their left cracked with a deafening bang, the force ripped a dark hole through the cement. Hikari forced herself back up. In front of the hole stood big-arms, aka. Doom Fist. So, he noticed their attempted escape at last.

A gust of wind brushed against her face. Something orange flickered in the distance, drenching the dimly lit corridor. Realisation hit her. They were only one level above ground. The distant sound of sirens filled the smoky, acrid air. If the police were that close, the heroes had to be even closer. A quick, foolish plan formed in her head. She protectively rose an arm in front of Inko, who had gotten back up as well. "Inko-san... I need you to trust me."

They only had one shot. If this didn't work, they had no chance getting out of here. She couldn't hold herself against Doom fist, not when she was injured and unable to use her quirk. With a whisper, she ordered, "When I say now, you throw yourself at him with full force and _hold on_ , okay?"

An affirmative whimper came from the woman. Between them and the hole, Doom Fist grimaced. "What was that? I can't hear you!"

"NOW!" Hikari yelled before he could approach them. Both she and Inko stormed towards the perplexed villain. They threw themselves at him, causing the man to stagger backwards, until he tripped over the ledge of the hole in the wall. For a moment they were weightless, then gravity pulled them down. They smashed into the asphalt of the street below, Inko's and Hikari's fall damped by the sheer body mass of Doom Fist who had to take the full force of three people slamming into the ground.

For a moment, Hikari blacked out. She found herself beside the groaning body of the villain. Against the protest of her shoulders and neck the girl scrambled to her feet and wobbled towards Inko's moving form. The woman hissed as Hikari helped her up, "I-I think s-something's wrong w-with m-my ankle a-and wrist..."

It wouldn't be a surprise if they were sprained or even broken. They might only have fallen from the first floor, but it had been a rough landing.

"Inko-san, I need you to be strong-" She didn't get any further. Something smacked her in the right side and sent her flying, then rolling over the rough ground. Her left arm and leg burned, she couldn't breathe - Inko shrieked - she couldn't give up. She couldn't let Doom Fist get hold of Midoriya's mum again. A sudden wave of adrenaline allowed her to push her limit. Before she knew, the hero in training was running towards the villain. She rammed her foot into the hollow of his knee. His arms might have been big and gave him superhuman strength, but he had the legs of just any ordinary, well trained man. Legs that made him buckle in immediately as a reaction to her kick, and he let go of Inko. There was only one thing left to do.

"Inko-san," Hikari called the woman, "you have to get out of here!"

"But-!"

"I can't fend him off _and_ protect you! Follow the sound of the sirens and get to the heroes, it's the only way you can help!"

The woman looked ready to object, but Hikari didn't let her. She went on, "I know I can't win, especially not without my quirk, and I can only retain him for so long… Go and get help, send someone here, but I need you to leave, for the both of us, _now_!" She couldn't stress the last word loud enough. Inko hesitated. Tears glistened in her eyes. But Doom Fist was collecting himself, so she accepted the demand. Giving the girl one last pleading look, the woman limped away. Doom Fist was about to follow her, but Hikari blocked his way.

"You don't think there's anything _you_ can do, do you, tiny spider bitch?" he spat, blood dripping from his nose, running down his face. At least the fall had affected him.

"I don't know yet," Hikari admitted, "but I'm willing to try."

"Without a quirk? You must be more suicidal than I thought. Not like I care. I'm just gonna kill you now and end the business I sadly couldn't finish in Onderon."

The memory of being smashed into the ground by those big arms wasn't something Hikari liked to recall. But the anger boiling at the memory was the exact thing she needed, with her body broken and her quirk gone. Her brain wasn't fully functioning either. Which was probably why those words came over her lips, "I don't need a quirk to beat you. You're not worth it."

That hit a nerve. Doom Fist cried out and swung his hand at her. She somehow managed to duck in time and struck her elbow between his ribs as she slithered past him on the wet ground.

Two fists came down on her. She stepped forward to evade them and lifted her knee, which embedded itself into Doom Fist's face by his own momentum. There was so much power in the movement that he tore her down with him, and the pain in her knee exploded, but Hikari wasn't done yet. She slapped her hands to the sides of his heads, down on his ears, which drew another scream from the man. If she was lucky, she had just damaged his eardrum.

She crawled from underneath the villain's body. He was holding his head, disoriented. She knew she was fighting dirty, but Hikari had never been so glad Aizawa-sensei had made sure she knew how to fight without a quirk. He had probably saved her life, as well as Inko's, tonight. She should thank him later, if she ever made it out of here.

Hikari punched his chin, aiming for the nerve. She missed it and caused the villain to smack her into her middle - her chest and lungs burned; she wouldn't be surprised if a few ribs were broken - but Doom Fist was still up. What was there left to do? She couldn't beat him in a fistfight, her only chance was to trick him. Hikari coughed as the wind blew a cloud of smoke their way, shortly shielding them from the other, and something in the corner of her eye glistened in the flames closing in on them.

She lunged for the object. The blade of the knife cut into her palm, but she ignored it. She jumped at doom fist who was trying to wave the smoke away with his hands and stabbed him into the foot. He howled. The back of his hand smacked her into the face, and half her vision went black, but the ecstasy was keeping her going. Hikari pulled him down and even as his other hand wrapped itself around her neck and began to squeeze, she carried on. She kicked him in the face, repeatedly, until her heel finally found his larynx. A gross sound escaped him. He breathed stertorously. His grip loosened. If he didn't get help soon, he would probably suffocate.

With that, Hikari knew it was over. The adrenaline was gone in an instant. A flash of agony was all she felt, and the last thing she saw was crimson red.

* * *

Up on the roof, Hawks watched them separate, the woman staggering away as fast as she could, the girl going into a fighting stance despite barely being able to stand. His instructions were clear. Dabi had told him not to interfere, should he accidentally run into a rescue operation. He mentioned something about a girl the young hero guessed was the one below, and not saving her. He didn't mention a woman though, and Hawks still being a hero despite his act, spread his wings. The air reeked of smoke, it was scratching his throat and lungs. He supressed a cough and followed the woman like a silent shadow above. It didn't take long for the first low-life criminal, villain, or whatever shady person, to come after her. With one swift motion, Hawks sent some of his feathers down. He pinned the villain to a wall before the woman even noticed she was being followed.

At last, she reached safety. The medics wrapped her into a blanket, tried to calm her down, but she was sobbing. Although Hawks couldn't understand her words, her movements were unmistakable; she wanted someone to go back for the girl. Sighing, he looked back over his shoulder. It wouldn't hurt to take another look, would it?

Hawks couldn't deny he was impressed as he saw the two were still going. The fight was brute. Still, somehow, the girl managed to come out on top. At least for a few seconds, before she collapsed. Screw whatever loyalty he played to have for the league. The hero sent his feathers down to catch her before she hit the ground. He didn't spare the heaving villain a glance as he landed beside her and picked her up. He had no idea how the girl in his arms was connected to the league, but he had a feeling she could be of use later. So, he decided to take her to the medics instead, and maybe find out more about this curious occurrence.

And besides, she beat Dragon's man on her own, so technically, he didn't interfere… _(And screw him if he let a child die for the shady plans of his superiors.)_


	36. reunion

**Chapter 36: reunion**

Uraraka and Asui had only suffered mild injuries. Kirishima, Amajiki and Togata were beaten up, but they would be fine, except for Togata's quirk. Fat Gum, Lock Rock, Aizawa-sensei and the other heroes had made it as well, while Eri stayed unconscious and feverish, but she was tended to. Sir Nighteye…

He had thanked Izuku. After everything they went through, after all the disapproval, he thanked Izuku for showing him that even the future he foresaw could be changed. It was one of the last things the hero said before his passing.

It still didn't feel real. It couldn't be. Izuku had never seen someone die before.

Silently, he and All Might sat side by side in the hallway. The ex-hero had arrived only moments before it happened, finally making peace with his sidekick after so long, on his deathbed. It pulled another string that made Izuku rethink what he believed the life of a hero looked like.

"Young Midoriya," his mentor started, not knowing where to go. Izuku pulled at the shirt they had given him in exchange for his completely shredded costume. He wanted to tell his mentor that they didn't have to talk, that he didn't need to force himself if he wasn't ready. Before he could get to it though, All Might informed him, "There is something you have to know. It has nothing to do with what just happened. At least not directly."

Izuku's tired eyes blinked at the man. Now that the adrenaline was out of his system, he could fall asleep any second and not wake up for the next three weeks.

"They wanted to keep you for the night for observation, but there's somewhere else we need to go."

That caught his interest, but he only reacted by fully facing his mentor.

"It's… It's about your mother."

* * *

As they left the elevator, the smell of sanitizer stung in their noses. Doctors and nurses were running from one end of the hallway to the other. The _other_ incident had left many people injured as well, so it wasn't a surprise to find the hospital staff ran around this late. Or early, dawn was less than an hour away. Not that he had time to muse over it, according to All Might, his mother was here. Bruised but fine, he had said, only kept for observation. Not that it made Izuku feel much better about the situation.

She had been abducted, by his father, her own _husband_. Only for a few hours, a bit longer than the whole Overhaul operation took, but it made his hair stand on end. He zoned out and only came back once All Might stopped in front of a door and knocked.

"Mrs. Midoriya? It's me, All Might. I brought your son with me."

Izuku's heart hammered. He peeked around his mentor's lanky form. There she was, in a grey-blue hospital gown, tired eyes sparkling with joy as soon as she saw him.

" _Mom,"_ he cried, lunging at the woman. He stopped at the last second, realizing there was a cast around her left wrist.

"It's alright, Izuku." She wrapped him in a hug, cast scratching his neck. He immediately returned the embrace. Even freshly dressed and bathed in whatever the doctors gave her, she still smelled like home. A sudden wave of emotions bubbled in Izuku's chest. For the first time this night, he felt safe. He buried his face in her neck, first sob rattling through his body. It was too much, all of it. Everything he had held back the past hours came flooding over him; the anxiety, the stress, mortal fear, desperation, powerlessness, loneliness, the pain, the grief, the loss. There was a hint of joy as well from knowing that Overhaul had been apprehended and Eri would be taken care of, that his friends and classmates had made it out alive, that his other was there in front of him only moments after he even learnt about her kidnapping…

Then, his mom chimed in. He obviously got the crying from her.

After both finally calmed down, Izuku drew back. He inspected her, the band-aid on her front, the scratches on her nose and chin; more scratches were on her fingers, most of her right hand was dressed.

"Did he…?" There was no need to finish the sentence. His mother shook her head. "He didn't lay a finger on me. Those are from our escape."

"Your escape," he repeated, voice completely flat. That phrasing was weird. He hitched a breath as soon his brain accepted the indication. "You _escaped_?! On your own?! Didn't the heroes come to save you?!"

Inko lovingly drove her hand through his hair. "Not on my own, I had help. From a hero as well, in a way." Again, her phrasing was ominous. "There was an opportunity and we took it. I couldn't stay there any longer, not with him, not with what he had become."

He didn't understand. What was she trying to say? "Mom-"

"The heroes attacked Dragon's hideout," she explained, "but they weren't able to get past the villains. But they did distract them, so we only ran into few people on our way out."

A few people. Izuku gulped. He couldn't imagine his mother facing a villain. But then again, she had always been strong, in her own way.

"Oh, mom, I'm so sorry I wasn't there, I should have come for you- "

"No, Izuku," she cupped his cheek lovingly, "you had other things to do. All Might told me about your… Work. You being here means you were successful and able to save that little girl, doesn't it?"

"Mom-"

"I am so proud of you, Izuku. That girl needed your help, and you were there for her. You did what you were meant to do. Oh, don't look at me like that!" Her expression grew the tiniest bit sterner. "You didn't know, there was nothing you could have done. The heroes did come for me. And besides, I'm happy you got your friend back. Hikari-chan is the one who truly saved me."

Izuku froze. "…What?"

A surprised expression took over her features. "You… Don't know?" Her eyes flashed to the door, but All Might had left right after dropping Izuku, giving them the privacy they needed.

Izuku pressed on, "Don't know what?! Mom, what's with Hikari?"

"I… I was able to meet one of your friends tonight, Izuku. We escaped together. She fended off that villain with the big arms, so I could run. I haven't seen her since, but they told me she's also being treated here at the hospital. She…" Inko bit her lip, her gaze fell. Her good hand wrapped itself around Izuku's squeezing it lightly.

"Mom?"

"He hit her so hard, Izuku!" There were tears in her eyes. "How could he do that? How can they hurt all these children? What Hizashi did to you, he burned you, and what that villain did to Hikari… I'm _… I'm just so glad you're okay_!"

Izuku's head was spinning. It was too much for him to take in. Eri, Sir Nighteye, Togata-senpai, his mom, Hikari, they all had suffered so much tonight, too much. No one should have to endure what they went through. He hugged his mother again, unable to say anything in return.

After what seemed an hour, his mother said something he surely wouldn't forget for a long time. "I think I'm starting to understand what it is you do, Izuku. I think you're right, the world needs heroes. Good heroes, people who want to save others, people like you. So, I've decided to not stand in your way any longer."

She drew back, a sad smile plastered over her lips. "That doesn't mean I will stop worrying, though. Just promise to be a good kid and try not to get hurt too much, will you?"

This was real. It was actually happening. His mother did want him to become a hero. He couldn't answer her for a solid minute, simply stared at her, before the words came voicelessly over his lips, "I promise."

A knock on the door broke the tension that had been building between them. He blinked the tears away he didn't realize had dreaded to fall and turned around. It was Aizawa-sensei, followed by All Might. They stopped near the door.

"A-Aizawa-sensei? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you rest? You were attacked by Toga-"

"I'm fine. But it's time to go, technically, he shouldn't have brought you here." The man threw an annoyed look at All Might who shielded himself with his hands.

"Sensei, I heard… I-is Hikari alright?"

Aizawa's face didn't twitch one bit. "She's looked after. But we need to go now, you're not supposed to be here."

Izuku's nerves were tensing again. "But…!"

The man didn't give in. He was about to order Izuku to move, when Inko stepped in, "Please, Aizawa-sensei, we just escaped _Dragon,_ a very dangerous supervillain!Won't you let a poor woman see her rescuer? A worried classmate see his friend?"

"I-"

"With or without your permission, I assure you _, I will_ find the girl tonight."

Sighing, Aizawa pinched the bridge of his nose. Izuku would have liked to know how exactly his mother always got what she wanted from the teachers. What was her secret? Persistence?

"Fine," he complied reluctantly, "three minutes. She's asleep anyway."

His mom supported herself with a crutch under her good arm, and Izuku offered to help her, but she refused. The incident must have traumatized her, but he couldn't help but feel like it had also changed her in other ways. Pushing the thoughts aside, he followed the others into the elevator.

The hallway up a floor was dimly lit, it almost seemed abandoned compared to the lower levels. Two doctors were talking in a brightly illuminated room they passed, other than that, everything was quiet. Aizawa-sensei came to a halt at the very end. He nodded towards a door before taking place on one of the chairs lining the wall with All Might and reminded them, "Three minutes."

Izuku hovered in front of the door, not sure what to expect. His mother gave his hand a soft squeeze. Encouraged, he lifted his arm and knocked. No answer. He looked back at his mom, who offered an encouraging nod.

When he opened the door, he only found darkness inside. He could barely make out the silhouettes of two beds in the moonlight, leaving him unable to tell if anyone even resided here.

"Hikari?" he dared to ask but no answer came. Like a scared deer, he approached the occupied bed beneath the window and took in the few things recognizable in the dark. There was someone lying, so still, only the soft movement of her chest told him she was still alive. The whole middle part of the face was covered in a thick layer of gauze, the wrapping extending from her right jaw up to her left eye, which seemed to be swollen shut. He couldn't make out any details in the dim moon light, but he was sure there was bruising everywhere. Small tubes came out of two holes in the wrappings where her nose should have been. He was suddenly glad to be left in the dark, he couldn't bear to see the full extent of her injuries.

His mother appeared at the other side of the bed, reaching for Hikari's hand. The limb lay on her chest, being held in place by a sling. Izuku winced. He stood there, paralyzed, not knowing how to react, unable to avert his gaze even though the sight horrified him.

"Izuku," his mother got his attention with a whisper. She nodded towards the unconscious girl. He took another step towards the bed. After checking that her chest was still moving, he extended his arm, hand hovering above her face. He gulped. Shakily, his fingers connected with her front.

"She's warm… Mom, is she supposed to be this warm? I think she has a fever-"

"Izuku," a hand landed on his extended arm, "it's fine. The doctors know what they're doing."

It wasn't as reassuring as it should be. He bit his lower lip and brushed some hair out of her face. Despite the injuries, she looked at peace. The lump in his throat grew. He lifted his other hand to her face, brushed the rest of the hair behind her ear. He wanted her to open these golden eyes and ask him what the hell he was doing, but nothing in her face twitched. Just as new tears clouded his vision, Izuku bent forward and rested his front against hers.

"I-Im s-so sorry… I c-couldn't do-do anth-thing…"

His mother's free hand landed on his back, drawing comforting circles. "It's not your fault, Izuku."

* * *

Aizawa-sensei convinced All Might to drive him back to the other hospital in the end. There, he spent very few hours dozing off, before he decided that he wouldn't find sleep today and visited his friends. Recovery Girl had already seen them and made sure they were healthy enough to be dismissed the following day. But there was one thing left for Izuku to do. He knocked on Togata-senpai's door.

"S-senpai…"

"Morning, Midoriya!" The older student was doing weird stretches on his bed. Izuku felt like he entered at the wrong time.

"Oh, don't worry, I'm in tip top shape! Don't know why they want to keep me for a few more days." There were still many bandages on him, but he smiled. How could he? He lost his...

"Don't say anything," the older student shut him before he could argue, "I may have lost my quirk, and Sir Nighteye, but… You know, despite the way he acted towards you, he had a good sense of humour and smiled a lot. And I don't think he would want me to despair right now. That's why I won't be sobbing anymore. That's the least I can do for Eri."

He was so strong. Izuku felt tears sting in his eyes. "Senpai… Even without your quirk, you still want to…?"

"I will become an outstanding hero!"

He would. Izuku just knew. And it made things only harder on him. "You still want to protect her, don't you? Even without a quirk… A-and Compared to that, I… I was saved by Eri when I should have been the one to protect her, I was saved by so many people instead of… If only you had been the successor, Sir Nighteye wouldn't have…" He didn't notice how he was about to reveal his most important secret to the other. He was too horrified by the realization that if Togata had inherited One For All as Sir Nighteye wanted, the pro would most likely still be alive. He died because Izuku had been too weak. If only… "If I would offer to give you my quirk, senpai, will you-"

"Nope, but thanks."

Izuku didn't believe his ears. Togata-senpai shrugged and went on, "Even if that was possible, then you wouldn't have a quirk and had to deal with all this. I don't understand what makes you to feel like that, but you did great! You were a real hero back there! You are Deku the hero!"

It was more praise than he deserved. Izuku bit his lip, afraid to spill more he shouldn't.

"And by the way, I talked to Eraser," Togata couldn't hide all the gloom but he still tried, "he said that sometime, Eri might be able to return my quirk once she has control over hers. And if she doesn't, they would try various things to turn me back to normal. So, in the end, everything will be fine! It might take a while, but I must stay patient. So, smile already! It's not like the world has ended."

He playfully punched Izuku in the face. The latter had no idea how to react, so he answered with a simple, "Okay…"

Neither of them saw All Might's shadow lurking in front of the door.

* * *

Smoke filled the air. The iron bars stapled on the back of the hall were steaming. If he carried on like this, they would start melting within the next few minutes. Shockwave refrained from taking a deep breath, it would only risk getting her into a coughing fit. Instead she cautiously approached the other villains.

Dragon was standing behind his desk, pushing out flames every time someone said something that didn't sit right with him. Which was every few seconds. In front of his desk stood the Puppeteer and Voodoo, both not looking very pleased.

"Dragon," the man began, but wasn't allowed to finish. The boss blew another wave of flames towards the glowing bars before harshly turning on his heals. "Enough. You've done enough. Your jobs were simple. And yet, you let my love escape. You let both escape. You failed me, just like Doom Fist. Is there anyone left who can do something right?!"

"Dragon," Shockwave decided to announce her presence, "I have news for you."

The man turned to her. His otherwise handsome features were morphed into a spiteful, grotesque mask, a tiny flame flickered between his lips.

" _What is it_?"

"Endo Tomomo, the quirkless boy you placed at Seishin Academy, has come back with information. He was able to get past the heroes into Overhauls hideout and found some very interesting documents regarding the girl's quirk the Yakuza studied. I believe their research might be of interest to you."

Within the blink of an eye, Dragon's face was back to normal. He lifted his brows, visibly interested. "Is that so? Then bring him and the documents to me. And you," he turned to the Puppeteer and Voodoo, "get out of my sight. I'll let you know when there's work for you."

They didn't dare to object. The couple bowed in deep respect and rushed out of the abandoned warehouse. It wasn't Dragon's safest hideout, but the closest to the one they had lost last night.

"Shockwave?"

The woman was surprised to hear her name again, she already wanted to leave, not expecting her boss to talk to her again.

"Yes, Dragon?"

"You have never failed me before, have you?"

Not that she dared to object. "Of course not."

"Congratulations," Dragon clapped his hands, "you've been promoted."

* * *

 _ **Author's note: Thank you so much for the follows and favourites!**_

 _ **In case you don't remember: Shockwave was the villain who shortly fought Izuku and Psy Doc in Onderon.**_


	37. stuck

**Chapter 37: stuck**

Four days had passed since their escape. Hikari sat on the bed, staring out of the window. There was a green park in the inner courtyard of the hospital, where guests and patients alike strolled along the paths. How nice it must feel to be able to go outside whenever and wherever they wanted without fearing to be murdered any second.

The girl sighed and touched the patches over her nose. Despite being drugged up to the eyeballs with painkillers that made her fuzzy, breathing hurt, and she was still attached to that oxygen machine via tubes. They had declared her fit enough to start working on her injuries with quirks this morning though, meaning she would soon be back to full health.

A guest announced their presence by knocking. Hikari grimaced, until remembering that there was only one other person visiting her aside from the doctors and Aizawa-sensei.

"Come in."

"Hello, Hikari-chan," Inko Midoriya wobbled inside, first time without her crutch, "how are you doing today?"

Hikari liked her a lot. Inko was the epitome of a loving mother; nice, attentive, sympathetic, able to see through every lie. Which was the reason Hikari shrugged as an answer. "Okay, I guess. Better than yesterday."

The woman nodded and took a seat on the chair beside the girl's bed. "That's good to hear."

"What about you?"

Inko smiled. "My crutch is gone, as you can see, and the pain almost, too. They're going to keep me for a few more days until they know what to do with me, but I'm perfectly fine, thank you."

Hikari nodded understandingly. They couldn't let Inko off that easily. After what happened, Dragon would definitely try to get her again. Most likely, they were trying to find a safe place for Inko, a solution similar to keeping Hikari at U.A.

"I talked to Izuku yesterday. He tried to reassure me that everything is fine, but I can tell he has a hard time dealing with what happened."

"Oh," Hikari had no idea what to say, "I'm sorry to hear that."

Inko nodded. "I understand that means you haven't reached out to your friends yet?"

Hikari flinched again. She had gotten her phone back yesterday, which she left in the pocket of the jacket with the USB drive. The device lay on the other side of the room, fully charged. New messages were displayed on the screen, but it remained untouched. She knew the others had tried to reach out, but she couldn't find the heart to look at it. Not after what happened yesterday.

"Izuku asked me about you," Inko disclosed, "he and the rest of your class are worried. I can't and won't force you, but I really think you should contact them. At least let them know you're alive and that you got their messages. Everything else can wait. I'm sure they'll understand."

What was she supposed to say? The silence stretched for too long, it was nagging on her nerves, urging her to speak but her mind was blank- At last, salvation came in form of another knock. Hikari looked at the clock. Was it already time?

"Yes?"

One of the doctors frequently visiting entered. He was followed by a nurse, the grumpy quirk specialist and Aizawa-sensei. This could only mean one thing: They were going to make her activate _that thing_ again. Hikari gulped, she clenched her fists around the bedsheet and tried her best not letting her expression betray her.

"Good afternoon, Shikogane-san. How are you feeling? We're here to check up on your quirk again."

The U.A. student only nodded, unable to find her voice. Something squeezed her hand. She turned to find Inko smiling at her encouragingly before bidding her goodbyes and leaving the room. Her sudden absence made Hikari uncomfortable. Her throat grew dry and she could feel cold sweat accumulating on her back. The air coming from the open window suddenly seemed humid, too warm for the season, as the sun tried to break through the thick layer of clouds, warning them of the approaching storm.

* * *

"I heard there are going to be lots of fun activities! There's food and games, more food, and a big firework at the end!" Uraraka's eyes were sparkling. It was fun to see how they all had their very own reasons to go that festival. Izuku sat back and listened. He couldn't join them, but it was fun to watch their excitement. From time to time he added a few things into his quirk analysis notebook or refined his drawings, whatever looked like it still needed work.

"Midoriya, are you okay with this?" Of course, Todoroki would be concerned. Izuku smiled as best as he could. "Yeah, I'm fine. Please go and enjoy it."

"Are you really, really sure, Deku-kun? We can stay here with you if you want. It's just a small festival, there surely will be another one in the future!"

"No, please go," he reassured Uraraka, "I'm happier if you go. You just promise me to have the double amount of fun, will you?"

She was not happy with how things were going, that was for sure. Uraraka promised none the less and added that they were going to bring him lots of food and other stuff. Izuku accepted and stayed for another twenty minutes before he had enough. The festival sounded fun and he didn't remember the last time he went to one. Not since Middle School started. It had been years before that, with his mom, when he had still been a child. There had been more since then, but he never had any friends who would have accompanied him.

Izuku collected his notebook and went to the kitchen for a sip of water. Sunken into deep thoughts he accidentally knocked the kettle from the stove. He caught the object before it reached the floor and placed it back, luckily without spilling too much water. Behind him, Yaoyorozu screamed, "Mi-Midoriya-san, watch out!"

"It's fine, it wasn't that hot!" He held up his palm to prove it, not noticing Yaoyorozu's wide eyes. Baffled, his classmate helped him clean up the mess before he retreated to his room.

* * *

Momo reached out. Her palm hovered just a bit above the teapot, she could feel the heat radiating from the ceramic. How did he…?

"Yaomomo-chan," Tsuyu joined her, "I think someone really wants to talk to you." The frog girl held up Momo's phone. "It's been ringing for the past fifteen minutes in your room…"

"Oh, I'm sorry for the disturbance!" The taller girl apologized. She didn't get a lot of calls, hence she mostly left it up in her room. Momo accepted the phone and checked the identity of the desperate caller. Confusion filled her mind. Why would Neko-san call her? Unless…

"Thanks, Tsuyu," she smiled at her friend, "please excuse me." She had trouble hiding the nervousness on her face. Momo quickly made her way out of the common area to get somewhere more private. As far as she knew, everyone not here was up in their rooms, so the hallway would do.

"About damn time," the familiar voice rang in her ear.

"Hello, Neko-san. What-"

"You're good friends with Hikari, right?" The Seishin student didn't let her finish.

Momo stuttered, "Y-yes, why? Is she alright?"

A huff came from the other side. "Maybe you're not _that_ close, if you have to ask me. But no, not really. I actually wanted to ask you about it but seems like you're worse off than me."

"Wait," a shiver ran down Momo's spine, "what do you mean, no? Did she contact you? We've tried everything, but we haven't heard from her, and the teachers won't tell us anything-"

"Sorry, but if she hasn't talked to you, there's nothing for me to say. Is there anyone else in your class who might know more?"

The U.A. student had to ponder for a Moment. Hikari had grown closer to her and Kyouka over the past few weeks, she also seemed a bit more open to the rest of the class. But she didn't recall the girl talking to anyone about her problems or what troubled her, she was more the bottling-everything-up-type of person. She never told anyone about her family, Momo and Iida found out themselves and only went to Midoriya to confirm their suspicions-

Of course. _Midoriya_. He had known before anyone else. The two of them also happened to be together at the Onderon incident. And from what Momo could tell, they had been sharing some kind of bond ever since then. Momo never noticed before, but now that she was actively thinking about it, she was positive it was there. It was easy for the two of them to fall into a conversation, Momo had seen them sitting or walking together a few times. They seemed to spend quite a bit of time together, but thanks to their calm nature, it never attracted anyone's attention. Not unless someone was actively looking at it, like her in this very moment.

"Midoriya," Momo announced confidently, "if she told anyone, it's him."

The short silence that followed told the hero in training that Neko was at least as surprised by this development as she was herself.

"...Alright, thanks. See ya, little hero."

"Neko-san, wait-!" But it was too late. Neko had hung up, not waiting for an answer. Momo puffed her cheeks. If anything, she was even more worried than before. Plenty of 1-A had tried to reach Hikari, but they all came to the same conclusion: her phone had to be dead. Or broken. Lost, probably, and they had no way of contacting her.

Momo folded her arms. She needed to think. There was no way she would just sit around and wait, now that she knew something was up. Should she tell the others? She didn't want to unsettle her friends. Maybe she could ask Aizawa-sensei about it? She raised her fist to her chin. What could have happened? She considered calling back Neko, but the other girl was probably already bothering Midoriya with her too calm, almost bored tone. Momo almost accused her of being heartless, then again, Neko didn't seem to wear her heart on her sleeve. She had to be just as worried as everyone else, if not more.

The rapid tapping of feet alerted Momo of someone approaching. The U.A. student rose her head to find a wide eyed Midoriya storming out of the common area. Their eyes met and the boy froze in his step.

"Did Neko-san call you?" She guessed.

"Y-yeah," he verified her question, "I, uhm, I wanted to talk to Aizawa-sensei…"

"I'm coming with you."

* * *

It was far too late for anyone still working and yet, there was light coming from inside the teachers' office. If anyone was crazy enough to work at such an ungodly hour, it had to be their homeroom teacher. Momo exchanged a short nod with Midoriya, before the boy knocked. No answer came.

They waited for another few seconds before Momo tried, "Aizawa-sensei? It's Yaoyorozu and Midoriya. We… We would like to talk to you about something."

There was a sound reminiscent of a chair rolling. There were steps, and the door opened to reveal the black clad underground hero looking all but pleased.

"Do you know what time it is? Curfew is in five minutes."

"Sensei-," Midoriya began, but was cut off by their teacher. "If this is about Shikogane, I can't disclose any information. You understand why."

Midoriya's head fell. He clenched his fists. A gesture that urged Momo to speak up, "We know… But we're worried. A friend of Hikari, Neko, called us, and mentioned that Hikari isn't well… She didn't seem to know why herself, but it won't let us rest. I know you can't tell us anything, but," an idea sprung to her mind, "maybe there's another way? If you could let a few of our class visit, it would probably help-"

"I'm sorry, Yaoyorozu, but there's nothing I can do," Aizawa folded his arms "now, go back to the dorm, you have three more minutes. If I see you running around after that, there will be consequences." With that the teacher slammed the door into their faces.

"Sensei!" Midoriya called after his teacher disbelievingly, but Momo held him back. "Midoriya-kun, I don't think this will get us anywhere. Aizawa-sensei looks incredibly worn out. Pressuring him won't do us any favours. Let's ask him tomorrow, once he's rested. Maybe some of the others will come with us."

Momo could tell he was not happy with that, still, Midoriya nodded. She caught herself doubting her own words, aware that their teacher would not be any less tired the next day, but she had to believe.

* * *

Fire. Green.

Green had always been one of his favourite colours, aside from the vibrant blue, red and yellow of All Might's costume. Even his own costume sported the design by his own wish. But the more time passed, the more the uneasiness spread while looking at it.

Once again, Izuku woke drenched in sweat. Whatever vivid dream he had had, he didn't remember any details. Only that there had been more fire and something green. He shook his head and ripped the cover off his burning body. He felt incredibly hot, he had been feeling weird for days. The thermometer told him that his body temperature was above normal, but he didn't feel sick, just different, like his body had to acclimatise to some weird, new circumstances. The young hero in training told himself that it was probably a side effect of Eri's quirk or just the stress, but the more days he waited for it to cease, the harder it got to persuade himself.

Like every other morning since the Overhaul operation, he wrote his mother a good morning text, asked her how she felt and if she knew more about where she'd go after the hospital. She couldn't go back to the apartment, that was for sure.

Izuku put on his blazer because it was required at this time of the year but wore his short-sleeved dress shirt underneath. Maybe he should ask Recovery Girl about it.

It was a Friday like every other. He walked to class with Todoroki, where he was welcomed by Iida. Uraraka joined them for lunch, then school went on, they went to ground beta for hero training, which concluded classes. He somehow ended up walking back to the dorm with Uraraka and Aoyama. It got a bit awkward because his classmate was hinting at something Izuku didn't understand but Uraraka got embarrassed about the whole time. But the confusion disappeared instantly when his favourite ex hero tapped him on the shoulder.

"All Might!"

"Greetings, young Midoriya, young Aoyama, young Uraraka!" He raised his hands and waited for them to acknowledge his presence before asking, "Would you mind if I borrow young Midoriya for a while?"

Izuku's classmates exchanged a worried glance. All Might seemed to notice and added, "It's nothing serious! If you can keep a secret," he leaned closer to them, "he's going to see Eri-chan."

Aoyama had no idea what they were talking about, but Uraraka's expression changed immediately. She clapped into her hands. "Can I see Eri-chan, too?"

All Might leaned back. "I'm sorry, but more than one person would overwhelm her at the moment. She already knows young Midoriya, and it's best if she can slowly get used to the new environment."

Uraraka's eyes fell, but she nodded. "I see… But please tell her I say hi, All Might-sensei!"

The ex number one hero chuckled. "I will, young Uraraka."

* * *

Maybe Overhaul hadn't been as stupid as Dragon thought. There was some truth to his words and his plan on how to take over the underground was almost… Impressing. It lacked some in-detail planning, but the general idea wasn't bad.

And then there was the drug. Despite testing it over and over again, forcing the best scientists in Japan to work for him, they never found out what exactly caused the temporary quirk loss. Hence, they hadn't been able to reproduce it. Now, knowing that it in its final form was even able to completely erase a quirk, Dragon could feel the power radiating from the words alone. If only he could make that power his…

And there was that other detail his quirkless Seishin underling mentioned. Potentially, another variant of the drug could return those lost quirks. Oh, how many doors those possibilities opened.

Maybe his family wasn't lost yet. Maybe his son would finally open his eyes and see the truth if Dragon gave him back the quirk he had been born with. If his son joined him, his wife undoubtedly would as well. All of that while he also gained control of the underground by executing an improved version of Chisaki Kai's failed plan. And there was only one thing he needed to achieve this goal: A certain little girl with a very powerful quirk.


	38. We are not like them

**Chapter 38: we are not like them**

"Good gracious," the bag fell from his mother's hands, "We can't accept that!"

Izuku was baffled too. The apartment had twice the size of their old home, it was bright and modern, something simple people like them couldn't afford.

"It's one of the smallest in the complex, believe me. And they declared it safe enough for young Midoriya to live here during the holidays." All Might stood by the door, giving them space to take everything in. At last it had been decided that Izuku's mother would be living in an apartment complex right outside the U.A. campus, where a lot of heroes and U.A. staff lived with their families. The security was tight, and it was under surveillance 24/7. If this place wasn't safe enough, no other place would be.

"Most of your things are already here, the rest will arrive soon. They've also agreed to your request, your friend Bakugou-san will be allowed to come here and help you.

Inko sighed. "What would I do without Mitsuki?" She turned to All Might, "I don't know what to say, this is… A lot. I don't feel entitled to live in such a luxurious space…"

"It's nothing you have to worry about," All Might lifted his hands and tried to reassure her, "it's our duty to keep you and your son save, Mrs. Midoriya."

"Still, I don't know how to thank you."

"There's no need. Well, then," the teacher reached for the doorknob, "I'll leave you to it. I'll get you at seven, young Midoriya, call me if you need anything."

After they finished unpacking and putting away everything from the kitchen and living room, Inko suggested he should continue with his own room. Izuku couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. Someone had cleared his bedroom at the old apartment. His _All Might shrine_. They were probably still making fun of him for being so obsessed with his idol. The young hero curiously opened the first box labelled with his name and found a palm sized prime All Might figure grinning at him. Yes, they definitely were still laughing. Blushing, he grabbed the box and carried it to his new room. It was spacious, with white walls and a wooden floor. A bed, some empty bookshelves and a closet already lined the walls, he almost overlooked the desk inbetween. He didn't even have enough possesings to fill all those shelves, but at least his All Might merch would bring some colour to the room.

Izuku just finished with his desk, when a photograph came into his hands. It was the picture of 1-A, including Aizawa-sensei, they took during their first semester. A warmth spread in his chest and he sat down on the chair, a soft smile on his lips. How much his life had changed. Only months ago, he had been a timid, quirkless and hopeless nerd with nothing but heroes on his mind. Everything had changed since then. For the first time in his life he felt like he belonged. He had done so many amazing things, met such wonderful people, made friends, real, actual friends. People that liked him, spent their time with him, people he loved.

He quickly wiped away the stray tear rolling down his cheek. Those were the happy memories he had to hold on to. Izuku tore a strip of cello tape from the dispenser and hung the photograph to the wall above his desk, directly on eye level.

He didn't notice his mother watching him from the doorway.

* * *

"Hey, Mina, sorry for being late, I had to talk to Aizawa-sensei. Want me to explain that equation now?"

"Yes, please!"

Izuku tried to ignore the voices and focused on the text in front of him, but his eyes betrayed him. They shot up and automatically glued themselves to the thick read line, reaching from her right cheek over the bridge of her nose, where it branched, one line ending below her left eye, the other at the side of the nose. Izuku unintentionally grimaced and forced his eyes back to the textbook. No matter how hard he tried to keep it down, a lump began to form in the back of his throat. He went over the same sentence for what felt the ninetieth time, until Iida cleared his throat. Izuku lifted his head.

"Midoriya, you're not focussed."

"Sorry." He could feel Iida's worried gaze on him.

"Midoriya, I do not mean to impose… But if it bothers you that much, you should to talk to Shikogane."

He winced, being caught red handed. Hikari had returned three days ago, without a heads up, pretending nothing happened. And the others were _going along with it_. But he couldn't. Not when he knew it was his fault. _His_ father had done that to her.

Sighing, he promised, "I will, Iida-kun. I'm just… Waiting for the right time."

It was a bad excuse and they both knew it.

But life went on, and the following day, he teamed up with Todoroki for the second half of hero training. They were going to refine their techniques, and he had just received his updated gloves from Hatsume. They were designed to lessen the strain on his finger joints, supporting his new technique. It wasn't new per say, he had used finger flicks since the beginning. Now though, able to use as much as twenty percent of One for All for a short amount of time, he had enough strength to use air pressure for a long-range attack. It did bruise his fingers without the new gear, but still better than breaking them.

"Are you sure about this?" the dual quirk user asked, aware of Izuku's trouble with fire.

"Yes. Totally sure." The words came out surprisingly convincing. It did a good job lessening the tight feeling forming in his stomach, at least for a bit.

Still not convinced but trusting his friend, Todoroki walked to the opposite side of the field. He lifted his arm. "I'll start now. Tell me whenever it's too much."

Partially annoyed, partially moved by his friend's concern, Izuku sent him an uplifting smile. "It's going to be fine, Todoroki-kun. I can to do this."

After an approving nod, a line of flames surged towards him. It was smaller than he had hoped for, Todoroki had to be holding back a lot. Still, the heat brought tears to his eyes and sent the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Izuku gulped down the unpleasant growling inside and flicked his fingers. The pressure was strong enough to deflect the fire, sending flames in all directions. Todoroki had to raise a wall of ice in front of him to protect himself from his own attack. With wide eyes he began, "Midoriya, when did you-"

"Can we try again?" Excitement bubbled in his chest. This had worked better than he anticipated. It wasn't the safest way to repel fire, but it was a start. The first move he could effectively use against Dragon.

The freckled teen didn't notice how his classmate's brows furrowed. Everything but keen Todoroki started another attack. This time, Izuku waited just a tiny bit longer before he flicked his fingers, reassured it was going to work even better than the last time.

But life wasn't that easy.

Everything went too fast; he flicked – but the fire wasn't simply repelled. In an explosion of colour, the gym was drenched in green light. The flames formed an impenetrable wall between the boys, hissing, flickering, like they came straight from one of his nightmares.

Horrified, Izuku took a step back, dropping his arms. Simultaneously, the fire wall dropped.

No, this couldn't be happening. He screamed and lifted his arms to his face, only to find his new gloves on fire, more green fire. The cloth burned, but it didn't hurt, he only felt hot waves tickling his arms.

One blink later, everything was gone. Aizawa-sensei called his name, but his brain didn't register it. Before he knew what was happening, Izuku was running.

He ran down corridors, passed doors, other students, without stopping, without taking notice. He couldn't breathe. He staggered out of the gym into the open, but even there his lungs didn't seem to work. The pressure and heat in his brain were unbearable, his head dreaded to explode – cold hands were pressing to his cheeks, forcing his head down.

"Midoriya, you need to calm down! Look at me!"

His eyes wandered but couldn't fix on anything, not until he was forcefully pulled in front of another face, where he had no choice but to lock eyes.

"Midoriya, can you understand me? You're having a panic attack. I need you to calm down. Just follow my breathing, okay? In… And Out. Slow down, it's going to be fine. Try again: In… And out..."

Tears were freely rolling down his face. He felt exhausted. He was kneeling on the cold, wet ground, his front resting against the shoulder of his friend who desperately tried to calm him down. It took an eternity until he was able to support himself again. He drew back, ashamed of his outburst.

"Midoriya… What happened?"

She looked so worried. Worried for him. He parted his lips, but nothing came out. His eyes fell. He caught sight of a red, distorted splotch of skin. He knew that texture. Completely forgetting about everything else, Izuku pulled the open sports uniform jacket from his friend's shoulder.

"Midoriya-!"

He stared at the burned skin. The jacked was quickly yanked from his hands und pulled up, but it was too late. He had seen it. Izuku felt another wave of panic wash over him and was again forced to look his friend in the eye.

"Forget about that. What's going on?"

Forget? _How could he forget?!_

"Midoriya-kun, don't you dare start panicking again. Tell me what's wrong, or I won't be able to help you!"

* * *

Midoriya was barely responsive. Hikari didn't get much out of him except something about green fire. The words alone sent shivers down her spine, reminding her not only of their first encounter with Dragon at Onderon, but also of that one moment she dared to defy the villain about a week ago. She quickly shook the painful memories from her mind.

The girl had just gotten ready for her extra class with Aizawa-sensei, taking place after 1-A's hero class, when Midoriya had rushed past het. His crazed expression was something she wouldn't easily forget.

Hikari dragged her friend into the main building. She knocked on All Might's office door impatiently and announced, "All Might-sensei? It's Shikogane. I have Midoriya with me."

The door was ripped open immediately. Concern was displayed on the retired hero's face.

"Come in," he commanded, "I'll quickly let Aizawa know that he's here."

Meanwhile, Hikari placed her unresponsive friend on the couch. She took a seat at his side and waited impatiently for their teacher to place himself on the couch across.

"I found him running in the hallway. He had a panic attack," The girl disclosed before any questions could be asked, "he said something about green fire, but that's all I could get out of him."

All Might nodded. "I was just informed that something happened and wanted to go look for him. Thank you for bringing him here, young Shikogane."

Hikari nodded. It was the only thing she could think of. Before either of them was able to ask for more, Midoriya gave off a pained sound. He covered his face with his hands and leaned forward.

"I should have known, I saw the signs, but I ignored them, I thought they would go away, I thought those were just dreams, how could this even happen-"

"Young Midoriya," All Might reached out and lay a hand on his shoulder, "whatever it is, it's going to be alright."

"No, it's not!" Midoriya seemed to squirm internally. "It's like _his_! I'm going to be just _like him_!"

"Young Midoriya! You're not going to be like that man," the previous number one hero put as much force in his voice as he could manage, "I know you, and I know you will never become like him. No matter what happened-"

"Did something happen to your quirk?" Hikari cut in, realizing too late that it only made things worse. Midoriya stiffened. He lifted his head just the tiniest bit, peaking at her with wide eyes.

"Did that girl, Eri, use her quirk on you by change?" Hikari had already messed up, no need to hold back.

Midoriya's hands fell. "How do you…?" he began, voicelessly.

Hikari bit her lip. Maybe the same thing happened to him. No, from what she heard, she was sure it had happened. Tearing her eyes from his pained expression she turned to All Might and announced, "I might have a theory."

The retired symbol of peace looked taken aback. A tension filled moment passed before he nodded for her to continue.

"You… They told you what happened to my quirk, didn't they?"

All Might nodded again.

"What if something similar happened to Midoriya? Dragon said that he made that other villain take away Midoriya's original quirk. We know what the drug extracted from Eri's blood can do, and I heard she used her quirk on Midoriya, so there's a possibility she set his body back to the state before his quirk was taken, meaning… Meaning he got back the quirk he was born with."

Her words were rewarded by silence. All Might wiped his palms on his pants. He seemed nervous, and that irritated Hikari. It took him a while to find the right words, "This almost sounds like a possibility. But Midoriya already has a quirk-"

"Please don't take me for a fool." Not telling her was one thing but lying straight to her face was inacceptable. Hikari stared her teacher down. "I remember Dragon's words clearly. He didn't only talk about Midoriya's original quirk, but also about the one he has now. The one his body can't handle."

There was a short pause. All Might didn't react.

"I know you're the closest thing to a father he has, and I'm pretty sure you've known him before U.A. Everyone knows he's your favourite."

"Young Shikogane, it's not-"

"Right now, I don't care if it's appropriate for me to talk about this or not. But we have a situation here. You lost your power, All Might, a power that is ridiculously similar to the one Midoriya miraculously obtained just before entering U.A, after being pronounced quirkless for all his life. And there are people like this All for One out there, who can take, possibly pass down quirks. So, it's not impossible that somehow, you transferred yours to him. I did my homework. I may not have proof, but I'm not stupid."

He stared at her. It was hard to withstand his piercing gaze, but Hikari didn't budge. Her heart was racing, and she clearly overstepped some boundaries. But she had been thinking about this whole ordeal since they came back from Onderon. It didn't make sense before. Now, that there was a possibility Midoriya had developed two quirks, all the pieces fit into place.

"Young Shikogane… I know you think-"

"You can't talk yourself out of this. I know there must be a reason no one can know, so I won't pressure you into telling me anything. And I promise I will never talk about this to anyone. But please, just don't lie to me."

He didn't say anything after that. All Might's gaze fell. He sank into deep thought. At Hikari's side, Midoriya managed to force himself into a somewhat upright position. He stared at her, eyes wide. After it became clear neither of them was going to give an answer, Hikari rose to her feet. She ignored the stinging in her eyes. So much for truth. How could they expect her to open up and tell everyone about her problems if no one confided in her?

"If that's all, I have to go back to extra class with Aizawa-sensei." She bowed to All Might, threw one last glance at Midoriya and left.

* * *

He couldn't tell how long the silence lasted until his mentor offered, "Young Midoriya, would you like something to drink?"

"Y-yes, thank you." Dozens of thoughts were running through his head, all at the same time. He should have known. He should have gone to Recovery Girl. His nightmare had become reality. And on top of it all, Hikari found out about One for All, at least partially. What if more people suspected it? What if…?

He gratefully accepted the glass and emptied half of it at once. All Might watched from the couch across. Izuku placed it on the table between them and folded his hands in his lap. He wasn't urged, but he knew he had to tell All Might everything he knew.

"I… It's not really a surprise. I mean, I kind of knew, but I was in denial."

"What do you mean?"

"I… There were sings… Ever since the Overhaul incident, I've been dreaming about green flames. I've dreamt of fire since Onderon, so it didn't strike me as unusual… But there were other… _Things_. I've been feeling hot all the time, and there were multiple occasions where I should have burned myself, but I didn't. I didn't think much of it, Dragon burned my left side, so there's no way I suddenly couldn't burn myself anymore…"

Izuku was out of words. Out of thoughts. His mind couldn't focus on anything.

"My boy. Let's go to Recovery Girl, shall we? I'm sure she can tell us exactly what is going on."

It didn't comfort him one bit, but he needed to know. "Y-yeah, I th-think that's a g-good idea."

* * *

Hikari barely made it back to the dorm after extra class. Everything hurt, she was famished and worn out. Shinsou had been as harsh as always, which she appreciated, he didn't treat her like the rest did. Then there was that thing about her quirk her body was not used to. Although the hot shower did wonders to her sore muscles, it didn't cure the headache from overthinking. She preferred showering at the gym where she wouldn't run into any other students. Her hair was still damp when she entered the common area. The girl intended to sneak past her classmates, but it was to no avail. Bakugou, almost barging into her barked something about her being in his way and alerted everyone of her presence.

"Yo, Shikogane, how did it go?"

"Uhm…" It was a nice gesture from Kaminari, but she didn't exactly want to reply to that.

"That bad?"

Jirou elbowed the airhead in the ribs. Not liking how awkward the atmosphere grew, Hikari announced, "I'm gonna go up."

She was already walking when Hagakure called after her, "Hey, don't you wanna sit with us for a bit? There is a super cool festival next week and we were thinking about going as a class-" This time, Ochako elbowed the invisible girl. Again, nice that she was asking, but Hikari couldn't leave U.A. Growing more exasperated with the treatment she received, Hikari clapped her hands. "Guys, _please_ , I'm not made of glass. You can talk to me like you did before. This changes _nothing_ , at least it doesn't for me, and I hope it doesn't for you. I've been treated like a sensitive little child long enough. _I don't need this from you_. I've been through much worse than this." It had turned out more harshly than intended.

"As I said, I'm up."

* * *

There was a knock. Grunting, she rolled to her left side and squinted at the alarm clock. No sane person was still up at two in the morning, it had to be her imagination. She pulled her covers up and went back to sleep.

Another, single knock startled her again. She tried to ignore it until shuffling steps finally convinced her it wasn't a dream after all. Overcome by an eerie feeling, Hikari slipped from under her covers to the door. It squeaked slightly. The figure wandering in the dark hallway froze.

"S-sorry, I didn't mean to wake you…" His whispering was barely audible. It reminded her so much of their time in the hospital after the Onderon incident, it pierced right through her heart. Hikari rubbed her tired eyes. She strode towards her friend and reached for his arm. Midoriya's skin was incredibly hot. She panicked for a second before remembering what happened the past day. With a slight pull she wordlessly ordered him to follow.

The girl was glad her friend had no intention of asking for light, because her room was a mess. She placed him on her bed like she had on the couch in All Might's office only hours ago and slumped down at his side.

"Nightmare?"

He didn't answer, but the rustling of cloth told her he was clenching his fists.

"Can't sleep?" She tried again. It took a moment for him to react. He attempted to get up while mumbling, "This was a stupid idea, I shouldn't have come here, it's the middle of the night and you were sleeping, I'm pretty sure you don't want to see me-"

"Hold up," Hikari held him down, "What do you mean I don't want to see you?"

His Breath hitched and he went rigid.

"Midoriya, what are you talking about?" Was her brain just slow because she was still half asleep or was she too stupid to get him?

Suddenly, Midoriya began to wrench himself out of her grip. Hikari's body acted on autopilot; her grip intensified and Midoriya gave off a panicked sound.

Realizing what she had done, Hikari immediately let go, not a second too late. His left hand flared up, green flames licked at his fingers. Another horrified sound came over his lips. He jumped and staggered, obviously trying to get as far away from her as possible.

But Aizawa-sensei was a good teacher. Hikari pulled Midoriya's calf from under his body with her foot and send him crashing down on the floor with a loud thud. Taken aback he couldn't push her away when she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, anchoring him in an involuntary hug.

"It's okay, I'm not scared. I know you can't control it yet, but I also know you don't want to hurt me."

Midoriya heaved. Only slowly his posture loosened, his previously lit hand plopped down on the floor. Darkness engulfed them.

Carefully, Hikari began petting the back of his head. "It's normal for you to be scared. I know how it feels, believe me. It has hurt others, he used it to do horrendous things. But do you remember our talk up on the roof when I first came to U.A? When I showed you my scars? You told me not to be afraid. You told me that a quirk is never evil, that it's the user that matters. Dragon may have done terrible things with it, but you won't. You can use it to do good, to save others."

He made no attempts to return the hug. Instead, he answered in a shaky voice, "I...I d-don't des-serve this. "

"You deserve the world, Midoriya."

"No," his shoulders shook, "I don't deserve you trying to help me. Dragon, he… He hurt you. He caused you so much pain, my mom told me about it, I saw the burn, I shouldn't have come, you should _hate_ me- "

Hikari instantly pushed him away, locking her eyes with his.

"What the hell are you talking about, Midoriya?" she shut his rambling. "Dragon kidnapping me had nothing to do with you. He has some… Other business with my family. Don't you dare thinking any of this is your fault. How can you even think I'd blame you? I you know me better than that!"

She finally got a look at his pained expression in the dim moon light bouncing off the walls. Then it hit her. "Oh god, don't tell me you've ignored me for the past three days because you blame yourself?!"

Midoriya flinched. His kind-heartedness was exasperating. "What the hell," Hikari repeated herself, "you are _such. An idiot_."

His head fell. It was hard to understand what was happening in that thick head of his.

"Midoriya-kun, I need you to understand that neither I, nor anyone who knows you will ever blame you for what Dragon did or will do. Look at me and promise you'll try."

He didn't say anything, and it was impossible to make out his expression with his head hanging. What was she supposed to do? She tried talking to him, she hugged him, but to no avail. A fleeting thought came to her mind, but it was ridiculous. She cupped his burning cheeks again and could feel the pain radiating from him. It hurt her to see him like this.

Maybe that fleeting thought wasn't as stupid, maybe it would get his attention, even if it terrified her. Midoriya came here when he could have gone to anyone else, to Iida, Uraraka, Todoroki, anyone, but here he was. It was her duty to do anything in her power to make that trust worth something.

"Do you want to know how I knew what happened to your quirk?" The slightest shift. Now they were getting somewhere.

"Okay. When I say it, I need you to light your flames."

"What?!" He breathed completely distraught.

Hikari slipped away from him. She pulled her sleeping shirt over her head and held it protectively in front of her chest. Midoriya's head shot up at the rustling of cloth, but he luckily couldn't see her from back there.

"When I was, uhm, _taken_ ," Hikari began, "they gave me a drug. Something supposed to suppress my quirk, because they were afraid I might try to escape." Which she did in the end, even without her quirk. Hikari went on, "That drug was developed by that villain you fought, Overhaul, came from that girl Eri. It was a prototype, something Dragon got from Overhaul and used back in Onderon to weaken the heroes. Prototype meaning that, well, it was incomplete and they didn't know about the side-effects."

A breath hitched. "Side-effect…?" Midoriya repeated after her.

"Please light your flames."

" _I can't!"_ He pleaded in terror. Hikari reached out, still holding her shirt in place with her free arm and found his knee where she placed her hand. It was comfortably warm like the rest of him. "I don't have a fire quirk, so I'm not sure if I can help you. Maybe visualize it? Or try to rethink how you activated it the first time?"

"I can't, _it's too dangerous_ , everything will burn-!" There was true panic in his voice. Hikari had gone too far. She squeezed his knee.

"I-it's fine, I'm sorry! We can try some other time, when you feel better, okay?"

His breathing was fast, loud and shallow. Hikari activated her quirk. Golden particles ascended from her arm and wrapped themselves around him. The girls of 1-A once said her particles were warm and soft, like a hug. She hoped they had been honest. At least Midoriya didn't seem to mind. It took him a few more breaths to overcome his feelings. He lifted his head, and as he did, he froze. Hikari's particles didn't glow that bright but in comparison to the darkness from before, the room seemed lit. Lit enough for the boy to realize she wasn't really wearing her shirt anymore.

"Uhm," she tried to explain herself, "I need you to show something. Please stay calm and don't scream."

She felt bubbling in her back. It was coming.

"That drug… It was supposed to weaken my quirk to the point I couldn't activate it anymore. But that's not what actually happened. I told you that my quirk is a mutated form of my mom's, right?"

She waited for him to nod, making sure he was listening and more importantly, understanding.

"So, my quirk was weak, and the fully developed drug can erase quirks by rewinding them until they don't exist anymore, but the prototype didn't reach that far. It… It undid the mutation in my quirk. But only partially, I wasn't exposed to it long enough to take full effect, so it didn't alter it completely."

"Hikari," he spoke her name for the first time in days, "what…?"

"Just watch."

The bubbling intensified. She closed her eyes, not ready to see his shocked expression. She felt the strange, alien yet familiar particles shoot from her back, she could feel them assemble into long, cold and sharp spikes, growing longer and longer, until their pointy ends met walls, the floor and the ceiling. A wave of sadness overcame her, but she couldn't give in. She had to accept it. And she needed to show Midoriya that, because it was possibly the only thing able to convince him he could, too.

"I can use both now. My own particles, and the ones used by my mother and brother."

It weren't two quirks per say, the doctor had said, it did still count as one. Only that she was now able to produce a different variant of particles from her back. To Hikari, it was still the quirk that hat abused and tortured her for years, but she had to live with it.

"I am no longer able to hide my identity in a fight. But I don't have to. I vowed that I would help people like us, that I would show them that even we could make something out of our lives and save people. And for the world to understand, they need to know where I came from. This doesn't change anything. It just… Sped up the process."

She dared to open her eyes. Midoriya stared at the eight black, long legs spreading behind her back.

"I know this quirk is dangerous and can hurt people simply by skin contact. No one knows that better than I do. But I'm not like my brother or mother. I would never hurt anyone, I couldn't live with myself if I did. And you're the same. I know that you're not like Dragon, you never will be. You were always a hero, and I'm only alive because of you."

She deactivated her quirk, all of it. Using the return of the darkness, Hikari pulled her shirt back over her head and came down in front of her friend again. A few fresh particles sprung from her arms and brought back some light. She took both of Midoriya's hands between her own and looked him dead in the eye.

"We are not like them. We never will be."


	39. friends don't lie

**Chapter 39: friends don't lie**

The cafeteria was noisy as ever. It didn't take Izuku long to spot his class though, and he was instantly greeted by a waving Uraraka, "Deku-kun over here!"

He let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. He picked up his pace and was soon on the lookout for a free seat, when his eyes met golden ones. There was so much Izuku wanted to say and ask, but it had to wait. Meanwhile, Hikari scooped a little closer to Jirou, creating enough space for him to sit down. Izuku gladly accepted and put his tray down on the table. The others were already finished with their food, lunch break would soon be over.

The young successor of One for All didn't even get to chew his second bite, when Kirishima on the seat across leaned in, "So, you two finally made up, huh?"

"Eh?" was all he managed with his mouth full. The redhead nodded towards the girl at Izuku's side.

"Uhm, yesh, I guwess we talwked id out?" Not that he did much talking, but they did have an admittedly very one-sided conversation. How did Kirishima even notice something was up? Izuku understood how Iida would, but any of the others? He gulped down the half-chewed food.

"That's very manly of you! I'm glad, we were worried!"

Who was _we_? Izuku let his gaze wander over his classmates. They all behaved normal. They didn't bother him with questions, even though he looked terrible with his dark circles and pale complexion. _Thanks, insomnia_.

With a sigh, he turned back to his meal. This time he was able to empty half of the dishes before the question he waited for finally came.

"How did it go?" Hikari asked in a quiet voice, not willing to attract attention. It was for naught. Yaoyorozu across her turned to them, the sudden movement of her fluffy ponytail alerting everyone in close proximity. Izuku didn't blame her, he knew she didn't mean to. Soon all conversations ceased. His ears flushed, they felt hotter than usually - his new usual - and he averted his gaze. He didn't like being the centre of attention.

"Fine," Izuku began, "I think. All Might, Aizawa-sensei and the principal where there."

"Woah, even the principal?!" exclaimed Ashido excitedly, a bit too loud for his taste. Sero was the next to voice his question, "What did they say? And how did even you do that yesterday? It was scary, but kinda cool."

Izuku thought about everything they had discussed. No one could know that One for All and this new, yet to be named quirk, were two different ones. So, Recovery Girl and All Might had come up with an official statement. A statement only two persons on this table knew to question, but he trusted they wouldn't.

"Well, uhm, during our internship, the mission… I-in our last fight, when I went up against Overhaul, I asked Eri to use her quirk on me, so I could fight him with my full strength. Eri's quirk is rewind, and although they don't know how exactly it works, it's very likely that it did something to my quirk. Changed it, somehow, to a more… To a state where it does resemble the ones of my parents more. My mom can attract small object and my father," he didn't want to think of that man right now, "anyway, they guess it's some kind of fire manipulation… But we still don't really know anything. I still need to figure that out."

"That sounds very plausible," Iida adjusted his glasses, "but whatever it is, you can be sure we'll do everything to assist you! If there's anything we can do to help, please let us know!"

And everyone nodded in agreement. Izuku could do nothing but thank them and smile. He had the best friends in the whole world.

* * *

Aizawa-sensei made him nervous. The underground hero was lurking in the dark corner of the gym, leaning on the wall with his arms folded in front of his chest. He didn't move. His eyes were glued to Izuku, internally marking down his every move.

"Young Midoriya," All Might demanded his attention, "why don't we start at the beginning?"

Right, they were here for a reason. Izuku tore his gaze from the silent teacher and faced the symbol of peace. All Might stood in front of him, wearing a navy trainer. His voice was calm and patient.

"Do you remember your thoughts during hero class? Or anything else that might have triggered the quirk to activate?"

Izuku stared at his palms. He had no clue why and how it happened. "Well, the first time Todoroki-kun sent his fire towards me, I focussed on bringing up exactly twenty percent of O- my power," if Aizawa had noticed his slip up, he didn't react, "and it worked. I think, the difference is, that the second time, I wasn't thinking about my own technique at all, because it had worked so well, I was just looking at the flames and kind of… _Expected_ them to move out of the away…"

All Might nodded. "So, you might as well say, you subconsciously ordered the flames to do what they did."

"No- I mean, I don't know, maybe-"

"Why don't we start there? Here, I brought a candle with me," his mentor suggested and pulled said candle and a lighter from his pockets. Izuku gulped. He watched the tiny flame light up. He still felt uncomfortable around fire.

"Sit down, my boy. How about you try commanding this little flame?"

He did as told. With legs crossed, Izuku stared at the tiny, flickering light. Command it? What should he even tell it to do? Would it turn green like his father's? What if his arms flared up again and his sports uniform caught fire, what if the flame grew and he couldn't control it, what if All Might got hurt-?

"Young Midoriya!"

He was muttering. Izuku groaned and slapped his palms in front of his face. "I can't do it! I'm such a hypocrite! I told Todoroki that it was his quirk, not his father's, and I made him believe it. But now that I'm in this situation, I can't even stay true to my own words! What if I can't control it? What if I hurt someone?! What-"

"Stop comparing yourself to others, my boy! No one expects you to figure this out right now. You still have plenty of time. And even if something goes sideways, don't forget Aizawa is here. He can erase your quirk in the blink of an eye." Literally.

All Might was right, and deep down, Izuku knew that. But it was still so hard to truly convince himself. How did Todoroki do it? How was Hikari doing it?

"I think that's enough for today."

Izuku had never agreed more with his mentor. Two hours had passed, and the results were absolutely devastating. They didn't even need Aizawa-sensei, because he had been unable to do anything to the tiny flame, let alone produce any kind of fire from his body. He had stared into the flickering light until his vision went white, without achieving any result.

"Go change and meet me outside," All Might ordered. Izuku was out of the gym without a single word.

It was frustrating. Accepting he had his father's quirk inside him was one thing, not knowing how to activate and control it was even worse. He was a time bomb. He knew how and when, by now even how much of One for All he could activate, but this was completely different.

All Might was waiting outside, as promised. His mood was more elevated than Izuku expected, especially after the past two hours. He was about to ask, when All Might put a finger in front of his thin lips, "It's a surprise."

The boy was left wondering an agonizing eternity as they went back inside the main building, went up to the third floor and came to a halt in front of a room he had never been to before. All Might knocked, and the cheerful answer came within a second, "Come in!"

Izuku knew that voice. He followed his mentor inside and found none other than Togata kneeling in the back of the room. It took him a moment to realize that something was in front of his senpai, something that turned around hesitantly.

"Eri-chan!" Izuku exclaimed happily. The girl seemed scared, but her shoulders relaxed the tiniest bit as her eyes found him

"Deku… San?"

"Yes!" All that just happened was instantly wiped from his mind. He carefully approached the young girl and came down in front of her. "No need to be so polite, you can just call me Deku."

Eri blinked. A few seconds passed before she gave a single nod.

Izuku lifted his head to greet his upperclassman, "Hello, Togata-senpai."

The other nodded. "Hi there, Midoriya, nice to see ya! How's it going?"

Izuku's face fell. Before he could answer, All Might cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll be leaving. You can call Aizawa if you need anything."

Togata promised they would with his usual cheeriness, and they said their goodbyes.

* * *

Hikari stopped in the doorway. Had she come to the wrong place? Across the training ground, Shinsou lifted his head. At his side, Ectoplasm caught on to the motion and waved her to join them.

"Good afternoon, Shikogane. Eraserhead is unavailable at the moment, he asked me to take this lesson over."

"I-I see." That still didn't explain why Shinsou was here, their next lesson wasn't scheduled until tomorrow.

"I am not very familiar with what Eraserhead has been teaching you two, so I am keeping it simple for today. You two will team up and try to defeat as many of my clones as possible."

"Team up?" Hikari repeated blankly. In the corners of her eyes, she could see Shinsou frown. This wasn't going to work.

"Yes," Ectoplasm nodded, "it is crucial for a hero to be able to team up with whoever is present in order to fend off evil and save civilians. You two have been training for a while, you know each other's strength and weaknesses, so that shouldn't be a problem."

 _Oh, boy,_ Hikari thought, _he has no idea._ She tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible. The teacher retreated to the side of the gym, leaving an array of clones behind him. That would be fun.

As expected, it didn't go well. Their communication was awful, they repeatedly got into each other's way, it even drove Ectoplasm to pause the exercise and send them outside to cool their heads.

Hikari rubbed her right forearm. It hurt badly, and moving her fingers sent extensive waves of pains through her arm. Shinsou had accidently, so she hoped, kicked her with all his might as they were going up against one of the clones. She was glad he didn't have any kind of strength enhancement, or her arm would be broken. Writing that exam tomorrow was going to be a pain, literally.

"Stop getting in my way."

Hikari blinked, thinking she had misheard for a moment. She stopped in her tracks. They were just in front of the gym. " _Excuse me?_! Stop getting in _your_ way? I _had_ him, but you-" No, she couldn't get angry right now. That wasn't going to help, and she couldn't risk accidentally activating her quirk. Hikari huffed. "Can't you _for once_ get your shit together and at least try to fight _with_ and not _against_ me?!"

"I'm not here to make friends," Shinsou simply stated, not even looking at her, instead mustering the grey clouds covering the sky. Hikari tried to stay calm, but she could feel her blood pressure rise.

"What makes you even think I'd want to be your friend?! You're a prick, you've done nothing but insult and hurt me, and I really can't stand you, but why can't we just try to get along for these two hours a week? It's not like you have to see me outside of class." Unless he made it into the hero course. Which, to her dismay, was a very likely option. Aside from being an ass, he was a really good and smart fighter. Just too much of a loner. It did remind her of her old self. She took a deep breath.

"Why are you so bitter? Because you didn't make it into the hero course at first try? Newsflash - things don't always work out the way we want them to. Do you think I would be here spending my time with you if I had a choice?"

He tssked and crossed his arms in front of his chest. "You have no idea what you're talking about, you don't know anything about me. Who says I'm bitter?"

"You're bitter because I got into the hero course without even taking a test. You said that yourself, remember?"

His eyes were piercing her. His stance grew menacing, and he towered over her. "I never said I was bitter. But yes, I don't get why an entitled brat like you-"

" _Entitled?!_ " That was it. Hikari snapped. "How can you-! Do you think everyone is gonna pity you because you had an oh so sad past? Because everyone told you that your quirk was more suitable for villainy?"

His eyes widened.

"Yes, I know your quirk. I watched the recording of the sports festival. I might have felt sorry for you if you weren't such a dick, but honestly, the way you behave now, you truly are more on the way to villainy than heroism!"

" _You have no freaking idea-!_ "

"How it feels?" She could feel tears burning in her eyes. "Well at least you haven't actually been raised and trained for villainy by your family!"

It was too much. Hikari realized it the moment the words spilled over her lips. She was too shocked about her own outburst, she didn't even try to wipe away the stray tears rolling down her cheek. Shinsou froze. His expression didn't change, nothing twitched, but he grew pale.

" _Fuck_ ," Hikari took a step back and turned around, " _shit_." She wiped her face with the back of her sleeve and only slowly turned back. Shinsou still stood there, unmoving. His face was blank.

"There," the girl went on, voice wavering, "I said it. I didn't get into the hero course because of my talents or reputation. I simply got in 'cause in case my family tries to kill me again, and they will, my classmates know what to do. I'm not here because I deserve it, but I'm doing my best to _earn_ this place. I don't want, I don't _need_ your pity, but I want to be approved to the hero course as much as you do. So, please, just for this one time, let us try to get along. Is that too much to ask?"

Shinsou didn't answered. They simply stared at each other for an intense moment until Ectoplasm showed up.

"I hope you've been able to clear your heads. We'll continue with the exercise."

Just lovely.

She ducked. Hikari managed to grab hold of a clone's coat, kicked its feet from under its body and threw it at another one. So far, she and Shinsou had gone their separate ways. She couldn't see her "partner", he was somewhere across the gym. Apparently trying to keep as much distance as possible. So much for teamwork.

But what if her friends would react the same way once they found out? What if they started avoiding, or worse, _hating_ her?

The short seconds those distracting thoughts made her lose her focus were enough. A fist embedded itself in her middle, knocking all air from her lungs. Hikari stumbled, unable to avoid the next hit which sent her to the ground. She felt the pain in her right arm peak up. The girl wouldn't be able to hold off Ectoplasm's next attack. The clones were already reaching out for her limbs to lock her in place, when a strong arm wrapped itself around the closest clone's neck and tore it back. Hikari used the confusion it caused to kick another clone in the knee. She rolled to her side, barely avoiding being caught. Something got hold of her arm but before she could do anything, the arm roughly lifted her up to her feet.

"You gotta do a bit more than that if you want to earn your place," hissed a familiar voice.

Too baffled to counter, the girl found herself back to back with Shinsou. More clones were coming for them. Did she hit her head or something?

"Any good ideas, hero course?"

It was real. Shinsou had helped her. He was trying to work with her.

"I'm waiting. I heard you were supposed to be smart."

"I," Hikari shook her head in irritation, trying to come up with something, "I think we should... We should ignore the clones and go for the real ectoplasm. If we beat him, he won't be able to create more of them."

"Alright," he sounded unimpressed, "this better works."

* * *

" _Following the recent incidents, it has been decided that Seishin Academy, the previously prestigious school for the quirkless, will be closed down for an indefinite time. Investigations are still ongoing, and we are still waiting for an official statement."_

"It must be hard having your school closed just like this, _kero_ ," Tsuyu put her finger on her chin, "imagine if this happened to U.A."

She earned murmurs of agreement. The news reporter went on depicting the situation, and for once the common area was quiet. They all thought the same; What would they do without U.A.? Could they still become heroes?

"Hikari, have you heard from Neko-san by chance?" Momo asked cautiously. Hikari waved it off.

"Yeah, but no need to worry, she's got this. She's moving back to her parents to Singapore, they already got her a place at a very neat private school. One that makes sure she won't get any trouble for being quirkless. And, you know her, it won't take long until she's calling the shots over there."

"Oh, I see, that's good for her, then. But... She's your best friend, right? Aren't you going to get lonely?"

A stab in the heart. Since hearing the news from Neko, Hikari did her best to come to terms with it. She averted her gaze but tried to put on a brave face. "Well, we can still call each other. I mean, it's not like I saw her more than once in the last few months anyway. She'll be coming over to say goodbye, a-and I still got all of you, so…"

"AW!" As if she wasn't blushing already, Mina hugged her from behind the couch. "That was really sweet of you, Hikari-chan!"

"Uhm-"

"I'm glad you finally think of us as friends!" Ochako's hand landed on her upper arm. Taken aback by the sudden show of affection, Hikari didn't know how to react. Aoyama, occupying an armchair on his own in the corner, winked at her. It was too much. For a moment, she felt so whole, she wanted to cry, then everything turned 180.

She was lying to them. She has been lying from the start. How could she call herself a friend if she didn't even tell them the truth?

Jirou picked up on the change. "Hey, everything alright over there?"

No, it wasn't. She couldn't do this. She gulped, and began, "Guys, I need to tell-"

" _We have breaking news!"_ The news reporter suddenly spoke up again, sounding extremely distressed. Most of them turned back to the TV.

" _We have just received notice of another scandal at a prestigious school! An anonymous informant sent us very convincing evidence that could soil the reputation of none other than our beloved U.A. Academy, the school that brought up some of our most cherished heroes!"_

If anyone in the common area had been busy, they weren't anymore. All attention was on the reporter.

" _Just a few months after the Kamino-Incident, it seems that the school has failed to protect yet another student from being abducted by villains."_

It couldn't be.

" _You will hear more about the details our mysterious informant left behind in our hero special at eight a.m. tomorrow. But what does this all mean? Why would they try to hide and cover up such a horrible incident? Were they afraid of another scandal-"_

She couldn't listen any longer. Hikari mechanically got up and sprinted up to her room, ignoring whoever called after her. It couldn't be. Not U.A. too. Not because of her.


	40. In Memory

**Chapter 40: in Memory**

" _Do you… Do you think they're going to close down U.A. too?"_

" _Don't be ridiculous!"_

" _But they sure are under a lot of pressure…"_

Hikari grimaced at the snippets she heard from all round. For almost a week, the scandal was everything the school seemed to talk about. It was weird enough being the cause of all this, but things turned even worse after a few days. Because people started to throw weird looks at her. The student the media mentioned could be any of these thousands of teenagers, but there was that tiny little detail that made people turn to her. Everyone knew 1-A since they had been in the news so often. People knew them, if not by name, by their face or their quirk. They knew all students except for her. She was in 1-A, but had neither been in the sports festival, nor present during any of the other incidents.

The girl kept her head down, hoping not to attract any more attention. It didn't help that she was always covered in bruises. Recovery Girl did her job well, but Hikari was simply too tired after all that training, she didn't have enough stamina left for the nurse to heal everything in one session. Not after Aizawa-sensei had adjusted the program of extra lass.

At least things with Shinsou weren't looking that grim anymore. The two students still couldn't stand each other, but he clearly attempted to work past the issues, and they made for a fairly good team in combat.

"I don't like this," Kyouka piped up. The musician frowned.

Hikari didn't follow. "What do you mean?"

"I agree with Kyouka," Momo joined in, "we're all aiming to be heroes, we should be better than this."

"Better than what?" Hikari grew the tiniest bit frustrated.

"Spreading rumours," followed the brief explanation.

At least her classmates weren't blaming her. Hikari wished she could show them how much it meant to her, then again, she didn't deserve any of their kindness. After all, she was still lying to them. They deserved better.

The three girls entered the classroom with their mood everything but elevated. They retreated to their assigned tables. Hikari's eyes briefly met Midoriya's, and he smiled at her brightly. The corners of her mouth twitches upward and she did her best to return the gesture. Ever since she had given him that prep talk after his quirk appeared, he seemed to appear at her side more often. Not that they didn't already spend time together, they were looking for each other's company a lot when the rest of the class was out. But those had been very private times. Now their friendship seemed more… Official. It was more than the _we-spend-time-together-because-no-one-else-is-here_.

Hikari dared to admit that she liked that. She had grown very fond of the boy, especially after everything that happened in Onderon, and she very much enjoyed his company. He was different from anyone she had ever met. Despite knowing her darkest secret, he didn't judge her. It was something she wasn't used to, something she cherished. It was one of the main differences between their friendship and the one she shared with Neko.

Hikari pulled out her schoolbook. It was confusing at times, though. He made her do things she wouldn't usually be caught dead doing and feel things she couldn't place. As irritating as it was, it was also comforting, in a way. Even though Neko would be gone in a few weeks, there was still someone she could rely on. Someone who cared for her, judging by the check-up-texts he bothered to send while spending the weekend at his mom's new apartment. Hikari felt an unfamiliar warmth peak up in her chest. It didn't disappear for some time, even after Aizawa-sensei crawled out of his sleeping bag.

But good things weren't made to last.

Remedial class started as usual. They exchanged short greetings with the students from the other schools, changed into their hero costumes and today's schedule was explained to them. The exercise began, and their plan went down the drain after a hand full of minutes. As always. In an attempt to make the best out of it, Hikari followed one of the students up on the roof, where they expected one of the fake villains to be. Just as her soles touched the ground, there was an ear-piercing bang - a massive shockwave pressed all air from her lungs and sent her flying. The lights on the ceiling blinded her, there was a scream. It had to be the other student. She forced her head in the direction and made out a colourful, blurred dot – it had to be him, and he was falling as well, they were both nearing the ground rapidly…

Hikari finally caught a breath. Her teammate's quirk was sound based, he wouldn't survive that fall. Not without help. But where was that help? What were the heroes doing? She had no trouble saving herself, but her teammate was too far away for her golden particles to reach him…

There was one other way. But she had promised. She had promised Aizawa-sensei not to use _that_ during remedial, because only a few selected people knew. But was it worth risking someone's life?

No.

The U.A. student didn't lose half a thought before activating her other particles. With a bubbling sensation under the skin, black legs burst from her back, one wrapped itself around her teammate's body, the other seven embedded themselves in the walls of the buildings around them. They came to a halt abruptly, but not hard enough to cause damage. They hovered less than two meters above ground - this had been a close call - before the girl gracefully lowered herself and placed the other student on the ground a few meters away. She did it. They were both safe.

There was a low crack. Hikari whirled around. Another fake-villain stood behind her, frozen in his stance. His eyes were wide open, disbelief was written all over his face. He had seen everything. She had broken her promise to Aizawa-sensei. Now everyone would know. She suddenly couldn't move anymore either.

Static announced the turning on of the speakers, "There has been an uncontrolled explosion in sector two. The exercise will be paused until further notice. Please return to your starting position."

The announcement seemed to shake the fake-villain from his daze. He rushed past Hikari, whose quirk was still activated, giving her a wide berth. She watched him picking up her unconscious teammate before he rushed off, leaving her behind. A wave of anxiety washed over her. She made her particles disappear, but it did nothing to ease her mind. If anything, panic was imminent.

 _Don't panic, breathe._

Oxygen didn't reach her lungs. She tried to breath, tried to stay calm, but her body didn't follow her orders and her mind remained blank. She didn't know how long she stood there, paralyzed, until All Might's bony hand landed on her shoulder.

"Young Shikogane, I think it's best if you go to the locker room and change. We'll be with you in a few minutes." His soothing voice shook her out of her trance. He didn't have to say anything else. Hikari stumbled across the training ground, panting for air, she ignored that Bakugou barked something at her as she passed him, and somehow made it into the locker room before collapsing.

But the girl didn't cry. She didn't scream. She didn't know why her knees were so weak. As soon as the panic subdued, she didn't feel anything.

* * *

Hikari squeezed herself into the corner of the car, making herself as small as possible. Apparently, a heated discussion broke out and they ended remedial class early. All Might came to pick them up, but Aizawa-sensei stayed. She didn't have to guess why.

The three U.A. students hadn't shared a word since then. Todoroki was sitting in the middle of the backseats, shielding Hikari from Bakugou. She could feel his gaze on her every other minute. The girl looked out of the tarnished window, but her head didn't register anything. It was as if the world around her had fallen asleep to the gentle lullaby of the rain splashing against the glass.

The car slowly came to a halt. The roads were always busy around that time of the day. They didn't move for a few minutes though, and All Might unlocked his seatbelt. "I'm going to have a look. You three stay in here."

None of them answered. The patter of rain could be heard for a moment before the door shut. Tension filled the car as soon as the retired Symbol of Peace was out. Something felt off. No one dared to break the silence, they didn't have to. A loud crash and the squeaking of metal being bent could be heard only seconds later. Instantly, Bakugou ripped the car door open and stumbled outside, completely ignoring their teacher's orders. Todoroki called after him, but Hikari did the same on the other side. It was already dark, and the icing raindrops pricked her skin like tiny needles. People were screaming and running away from something, it wasn't until she heard Bakugou yell a _what the heck_ that she saw the source of the commotion; A car was lying upside down not too far away, fire licking at the back. All Might's bright flock of hair was there, he seemed to be helping someone out of the car. Without hesitation, Bakugou stormed towards their teacher, followed by Todoroki, to assist. Hikari stood frozen in her place. She had a bad feeling about this-

Something cold and sharp wrapped itself around her neck. She recognized the sensation immediately. It was strangling her before she could cry for help, and forcefully ripped her off her feet. The girl struggled, clawed at the thing dragging her across the street, she ignored the pain every touch sent through her fingers and lastly threw her own head back with as much strength as she could muster. It connected with something hard. Everything went black. The sharp stuff cut deeper into her flesh as a reaction to the impact, but she was ultimately released. Hikari was yanked forward and crashed into the cold, wet asphalt. The girl desperately gasped for air between coughs, a metallic taste formed in the back of her throat.

New pain flared up, this time on her upper arm, but was suddenly broken off by an icing cold. Her vision only returned slowly, but she could see the flickering of streetlights reflecting on an icy surface... Todoroki?

An explosion detonated not too far away and the voice accompanying it unmistakably belonged to Bakugou. Hikari tried to get back on her feet, one hand clutching her neck, trying to stop the bleeding. Something moved in the corner of her eyes and she barely avoided being caught a third time. Another ice wall was raised between her and the attacker.

"Young Shikogane, over here!" All Might called out, done saving the passengers. The girl stumbled towards him, but black legs cut through Todoroki's ice wall with ease. She could only fend them off by raising a shield of her own golden particles. This wasn't good. She was still exhausted from remedial class, physically and emotionally, she hadn't gotten to either eat or sleep in order to recharge her quirk. Additionally, her neck wouldn't stop bleeding. How deep was the cut? She was in no condition to fight, much less to fight her brother of all people.

More explosions cracked through the air, but the yelp following told Hikari that even Bakugou was no match for Neo Kumo. She stopped in her tracks. All Might was retired, he couldn't protect himself. Both Todoroki and Bakugou couldn't win either, not even together. Many pros had tried and failed. She couldn't risk them getting hurt, or worse, _dying_.

Black legs came for her once more - and she jumped. Not away, instead, the girl leaned forward, managed to doge most of the spidery legs, ignored the others ripping her uniform apart, and was within reach before her brother could react. She saw his dark eyes widen. He expected her to run, not to come for him. Hikari used his confusion to knock the side of her palm into his neck and followed by bashing her knee into his side, right underneath his ribcage. Neo Kumo buckled in. She lunged out, but his quirk wrapped itself around her arm, tore her off her feet and sent her flying across the street.

She opened her eyes. Destruction filled her vision. Had she blacked out? Something pulled at her feet, she tried to scream but only burbling followed by a gush of blood came over her lips. Where was All Might? What happened to Todoroki and Bakugou? Where were the heroes when she needed them?!

She clawed at the wet street, but there was nothing to hold on to. Was this how everything was going to end?

 _Maybe it was for the better._

Her attempts grew weaker.

 _She had done nothing but getting everyone in trouble all her life anyway._

Just as she was ready to give up, the pulling stopped. Her brother's quirk was still wrapped tightly around her legs, holding her in place.

"What are you doing here?" She heard him spitting full of disgust.

"What I have to." That voice. It couldn't be. Hikari hadn't heard that voice in five years.

"I'm ending this. Get out of the way before I'm ending you, too."

"Is that really what you want, Kureshi?"

"Get out of my fucking way, or I'll rip you apart, _mother_."

It couldn't be. Hikari squirmed, she tried her best to get a look at the two. Her ears hadn't betrayed her. There, in front of her brother, stood her mother. Her hair was as long as Hikari remembered, but sticking to her forehead, wet from the rain. It was hard to make out her expression from the ground, but her voice sounded devastated, defeated. Not even after her father's death had she heard as much sorrow from the woman. Back then it had only been rage.

"Kureshi," her mother began anew, "let her go."

"No."

"She's your sister."

"And a traitor. A weakling. A disgrace. She will disappear tonight."

"Please," their mother was begging him, "don't do this. You can't be this far gone."

" _Get. The fuck. Out. Of. My. Way_. Do you think I was kidding when I said I would kill you?"

The grip on Hikari's legs disappeared. Neo Kumo directed his quirk at their mother. The woman sighed, finally giving in, "You know I can't let you do that."

"Why? Because she's your favourite?"

"No," the same black quirk her children shared crawled from the woman's back, "you're both my children, and I love you with all my heart, despite everything. I can't let you kill each other."

"Then _perish_ , old hag. You're weak and you've grown too soft anyway. You're in my way."

Hikari's eyes couldn't keep up. They were gone in the blink of an eye. She heard the clang of their quirks clashing, windows crashing, the squeaking of streetlights bending and the electric hiss of the bulbs bursting. Sparks flew, and two cars caught fire.

Someone screamed her name. The U.A. student managed to lift her heavy head, only to find Bakugou appearing at her side. Blood was running down his forehead, a long cut graced his cheek. His uniform was dirty and torn, more cuts were visible on his arms, but none of his injuries seemed severe. Relief washed over her.

"All Mi-" she began but fell into a coughing fit. Her throat burned and more blood run down her chin. Bakugou roughly helped her into a somewhat upright position and pressed her own hand to her neck, before he informed her, "All Might and the half-and-half bastard are fine, scarface! Just let's get the hell out of her-"

He was interrupted by a sound so disgustingly familiar, Hikari wanted to throw up. It was the ripping of flesh, the splashing of too much blood on the floor. She had seen her family do agonising things to their victims. This was no doubt of the worst kind

With a thud, a body hit the asphalt. The U.A. students whirled around. They found Neo Kumo hanging in the air, suspended by the many legs of his quirk. His head turned into their direction. There was no sign of Hikari's mother.

Neither of them moved. It couldn't be. One after the other, Neo Kumo's legs slithered forwards, and the monster approached. Bakugou got back on his feet. He spread his fingers, ready to jump at the villain even though Hikari could see the slight trembling of his hands.

For the first time in hours, a feeling other than pain rose inside her chest. It was undeniable panic. Hikari grabbed her classmate by the wrist and tried to hold him back, " _Don-_!"

Using her voice sent an excruciating pain through her throat. It didn't matter how much she disliked Bakugou, under no circumstances would she allow her brother to touch him any further.

Something sliced through the rain and embedded itself into the ground in front of Neo Kumo. Everything came to a halt. They all stared at the long, crimson object sticking out of the cracked asphalt.

"My, my, seems like I've caught myself a big fish tonight."

Three heads turned to the right. A weird silhouette descended to the ground, the figure approached, and bright crimson wings lit up under one of the few still working streetlights. They all instantly recognized him: The number two hero, Hawks.

"Get lost, bird," Neo Kumo growled, "I'm busy!"

"Can't do, won't do!" The hero replied nonchalantly. "That," he pointed to the feather sticking out of the ground, "was a warning. Give yourself up, or I'll have no choice but to take you in by force."

"Who the fuck do you think you are? Don't you da-" Neo Kumo was interrupted by an attack coming from behind. He barely avoided being caught in a cage of wood. Before he could even regain his eight-legged footing, the ground in front of him cracked.

Bakugou's hands relaxed. The heroes were here. They were safe. Hikari almost let herself collapse, but she remembered: _Mom_.

Somehow, she got up, even though her whole body protested. She didn't care that she run into the middle of the fight and disrupted the heroes' work.

 _Mom._

There was a body on the floor. Hikari slipped and fell, she had to close the last few meters by crawling. Her tights and skirt were drenched in more than just rain. She leaned over the unmoving body and choked, " _Mom…?"_

Dark purple eyes slowly wandered in her direction. They were glassy. Hikari knew those type of eyes: The eyes of a dying person. They locked onto her face and a soft smile appeared on the woman's face.

"Hi… Hikari…"

" _M-mom_?"

"I… I'm so sorry… I know I've done everything wrong... I was the worst mother... And… I… I know you can never forgive me…"

The woman lifted her hand to Hikari's face. Her fingers were cold.

"I never saw you growing up… Tell me… Are you happy…?"

Tears were burning in Hikari's eyes.

"Do you… Do you have friends…?"

The girl nodded.

"How's…. How's school…?"

"G-good," Hikari choked.

"I am so proud of you… Look at you… You're becoming a hero... You're already so much better than I ever was…"

"M-mo-om…"

"I..." The touch on Hikari's cheek grew weaker. "I… Know you'll never be able to forgive me, but… I… I love… You…"

No, no, no. She could never forgive her mother. But this… This wasn't what she had wanted.

" _M-mom_ _ **!"**_

The woman's hand fell. Her shallow breathing stopped. The light faded from her dark eyes. The world around Hikari ceased to exist. There was only the cold body of her mother, her lifeless eyes staring directly at her daughter. It was over.

Hands took hold of her upper body and she was removed from her position. Her head was placed on a black clad chest that smelled of cat and coffee. A warm hand began petting the back of her head. Hikari could feel her mother's body being moved. She wanted to protest, but she was locked in place.

"Don't look."

* * *

 _ **A/N: Thank you so much for the follows and faves Shudo92, Rebekah96, The 18th Avatar, soundwavecon202, TrimusicaDrag00n90, badass50, manofrah and SkitterExalt!**_

 _ **Don't forget to leave a review to let me know you're still reading!**_


	41. Broken

**Chapter 41: Broken**

It was still dark by the time she opened her eyes, but the rain must have stopped. Deep silence filled the room. Hikari couldn't move. Everything ached, her brain was fuzzy, and she was so incredibly exhausted. She just wanted to keep her eyes closed and never open them again.

Just as she was about to drift off, there was a knock on the door. Whoever it was, they didn't wait for an answer. Not that she could have given one. The light was turned on, bright, blinding, and the girl gave off a noise of protest, causing a stabbing pain to flare up in her throat. A woman reacted, "Oh, I'm sorry, they told me you should be asleep until morning."

Steps approached, things were being moved. Hikari was carefully tackled into her blanket. When her eyes finally adjusted to the brightness, she could see a nurse taking notes at her side.

"We should let her rest", the woman announced and put her pen down. Only now the U.A. student noticed the other person standing in safe distance by the door. Aizawa-sensei exchanged a glance with the nurse, but the woman shook her head.

"Please make it short, Eraserhead," she sighed before turning back to Hikari, "you need to rest. Good night, I'll be seeing you in the morning."

With that, she left. Only after the door shut behind her back, Aizawa-sensei dared to walk up to the bed. He plopped down on a chair, sighed and rubbed his face.

"What am I going to do with you."

Hikari had no answer to that.

"Todoroki and Bakugou wanted to wait until you woke up, but I sent them back to U.A. with All Might. They're all fine except for some bruising by the way."

She wanted to feel relieved, but there was… Nothing.

"Neo Kumo got away. He had help from his new friends, the League of Villains."

Still nothing.

"The good news is, no one was able to identify you or your mother. We will do everything we can to keep your identity safe."

She didn't care.

"Shikogane, are you listening?"

Hikari knew she should react, but she couldn't. Aizawa sighed again. There was some rustling, then a notepad and pen were placed on her middle.

"They told me you shouldn't talk for a few days. Write down your answer," there was a short pause before he added, "please."

She didn't want to. She didn't want to answer, she didn't want to speak, she didn't care if she couldn't talk. There simply was… Nothing.

After a painstaking moment of silence, the pro hero gave in. Aizawa took the notebook from her middle and placed it on the nightstand.

"Sleep. I'll be back tomorrow."

Did there have to be a tomorrow?

* * *

Izuku couldn't take his eyes off his phone. _Please answer, please write back…_

It happened two hours ago. Two agonizing hours the whole class had been waiting, completely on edge. The footage in the news had been shaky and blurry, but there was no way they wouldn't identify Kacchan, Todoroki, Hikari and All Might. They had stared at the screen in disbelief. Soon, all hell broke loose. Izuku had reached for his phone, he sent dozens of texts to his three friends, hoping that at least one of them would answer. Then he tried All Might. Nothing. Iida tried to calm them down, but how could they when three members of their class encountered one of the ever more menacing growing villains of Japan? And they didn't even know about his connection to Hikari, at least most of them, they had no idea what stood at risk…

The door to the hallway was opened. Angry red eyes glared at him, but all Izuku saw were the patches on his front and cheek.

"Ka-Kacchan!"

Bakugou stepped in, followed by Todoroki. Relief washed over Izuku. "Todoroki-kun! Are you alright?!"

Then he noticed. "Where is Hikari?"

Todoroki stiffened. Before he could react, Bakugou snarled, "Fucking idiot got her throat cut."

The words slapped Izuku in the face, for a moment, he couldn't react. One of the girls shrieked.

"Tche, calm your tits, scarface is going to be fine!" Bakugou barked at Tooru who had been the one screaming. He scuffled off, but Izuku noticed the strain in his voice. Shaken, he turned to Todoroki. His friend slumped on the free armchair to Izuku's left. He also had a band-aid on his chin, and his right hand was bandaged. As soon as he saw Izuku's blank face, he added, "Shikogane lost a lot of blood, but they said that she's going to be fine."

It should have been relieving, but none of the discomfort disappeared. Izuku placed his phone on the table. Some of his classmates were bothering Bakugou with questions on his way up, others snuck up behind Todoroki. Concern and curiosity were written on their faces. Uraraka began, "Todoroki-kun, what happened…?"

He didn't let her finish, "Can I have a moment with Yaoyorozu-san?"

The addressed girl startled but nodded. Todoroki got up and she followed him to the door but stopped midway. She hesitated before proposing, "Maybe we should take Midoriya with us."

All eyes were on him. Izuku finally understood. He ignored the stares of the rest of the class and Todoroki's confusion, and joined them on their way out.

Judging by the way Yaoyorozu hugged herself, it had to be cold. It was weird. Izuku never imagined he would miss something as trivial as feeling the cold. They stood outside the dorm, just far enough that no one inside could overhear their conversation. Todoroki hid his hands inside the pockets of his pants, but Izuku could still see that he was strangely on edge. The dual quirk wielder took his time before he inquired, "Has Shikogane ever told you about her family?"

Izuku and Yaoyorozu exchanged a quick glance. "We know everything, and so do Iida-san and all of the teachers," Yaoyorozu revealed. Todoroki gave a short nod.

"Todoroki-san, do you and Bakugou…?" She began.

"Yes. All Might had no choice but to tell us."

There had to be more. Izuku couldn't shake that feeling off. "Todoroki-kun… Why did you bring us outside?"

The quiet boy's features revealed good to nothing as always. Todoroki closed his eyes. "There was someone else. Someone who tried to save Shikogane from Neo Kumo, but that person wasn't strong enough. They were killed."

Yaoyorozu slapped her hands in front of her mouth in shock. There hadn't been anything about a casualty in the news.

"I think that woman was Shikogane's mother."

It took a few seconds for the meaning of the words to set in. Izuku's eyes widened.

"I just thought you should know." Todoroki's eyes were fixed to the ground. It was clear he wasn't going to add anything else, yet no one moved. Silent tears ran down Yaoyorozu's cheeks and Izuku was close to shedding some of his own. They knew Hikari's mother was - had been - the villain named Kumo, who had done gruesome things, but still, it was her _mother_ … Izuku knew he could never feel anything aside from disgust for his father, but he hadn't grown up with him, he hadn't seen him turn from a hero to a villain. He couldn't imagine how confusing it had to be.

"When will she return?" Izuku mumbled almost inaudible. His tongue wouldn't obey.

"She didn't sustain any serious injuries besides the one on her throat. Maybe a few days."

Izuku gulped. She shouldn't be left alone. He should talk to her, try to comfort her. Todoroki in front of him began walking back to the dorm and Yaoyorozu followed a moment later. It wasn't until Izuku heard the door handle being pressed down, that he found his voice again, "We have to tell the others."

His friends froze.

"At least… They have to know that Neo Kumo is after her. He will attack again, you know that, and we need to be prepared. I just… I-if they know, they can react accordingly, and no one will get hurt…" Izuku knew if they told the class as much, most of them would find out the whole truth in no time. But it couldn't be helped. He couldn't let that incident repeat itself. As much as his own words hurt him, he had to force down all the feelings swirling inside. He had to keep his friends save, all of them, even if it meant betraying their trust. As much as it hurt, he would rather see Hikari being save, even if she hated him, than exposing her to danger to ensure their friendship.

Izuku felt horrible, he barely got any sleep that night. The others had hardly reacted to the revelation, so far no one had displayed any signs of connecting the dots. But it was too early to say what they were thinking. He wanted to bash his head against the wall thanks to all that uncertainty. What bothered him even more though, was his own decision. He only did it to keep all of them safe, and he knew Hikari would understand that as well, but he could see her getting angry at him. Maybe she would finally hate him. After all his father had done to her, it wouldn't be a surprise. Izuku tried to make himself believe that losing a dear friend was worth it, if it meant to keep them save. She still had Neko and the girls, so it probably wouldn't even bother her that much.

Izuku slapped his front. He had to stop thinking about it. He collected himself, took a deep breath and entered the gym. All Might, with a few scratches on his temples, greeted him cheerfully. Izuku could see the worry underneath the facade, but he appreciated his mentors attempt to lighten the mood.

"Good afternoon, young Midoriya! Let's get on with your training, I'm sure we'll make great progress today!"

Izuku looked around. "Where is Aizawa-sensei?"

He shouldn't have asked, the answer was clear as day. All Might still smiled. "He drove back to the hospital after classes ended."

Of course, the teacher was looking after Hikari, but Izuku couldn't quite ignore his suspicion. Maybe Aizawa-sensei didn't deem it necessary to be present because he knew Izuku wouldn't be able to activate his new quirk anyway. They had made zero progress the past week.

All Might knelt down, ready to light the candle when Izuku cut him off, "I don't think there's any need for that."

His mentor looked up in surprise, but the expression was quickly replaced by a sympathetic smile. "If you wish, my boy. Do you have any other ideas?"

"Not really… I just… I think I need to clear my head first. I need to find out why I can't do it." He scratched his neck. All Might nodded in agreement. "I see. Let me think… How about we try some meditation? It might help directing your focus."

That actually sounded like a good idea. Izuku agreed. Two minutes later, both sat down on a mat, cross legged, facing each other. Izuku was instructed to close his eyes, and he followed All Might's breathing pattern. His limbs grew heavier. He concentrated on his breathing until opposing to his body, his mind felt light.

" _It's your power!"_ His own words rang in his ears. Todoroki had accepted both sides as a part of him, and even though they weren't trained equally, he had become stronger. But Izuku needed to do even more than that. He not only had to become strong enough to be the next number one hero, no, more importantly, he needed to be strong enough to save everyone, so none of his friends would get hurt again. Having gained control over twenty percent of One for All was a large step towards that goal, but it wasn't enough. He needed more. He needed _that_ power, even though it reminded him of his father's cursed flames. Dragon was no doubt already planning his next move, and Izuku had to be ready. One day he would face his father again, and this quirk was his only hope of stopping the man.

Izuku took a deep breath. _Focus_. He tuned out everything around him, until only the beating of his own heart remained. Up till now he always thought he had hijacked Todoroki's fire, but something about that didn't feel right. He remembered his burning forearms. He hadn't simply taken control of the fire, no, part of it had come from within himself. He could feel the heat pulsing through his veins, like streams of lava pumping inside an active volcano. No, he didn't need that candle. What he needed was the volcano to erupt.

This was his quirk, not his father's. His original quirk. He yet had to find a name for it, but it was his and his alone.

 _We are not like them._

In the end, he hadn't been able to light any flames, but it hadn't been fruitless either. Izuku finally felt connected to this new power, it was a part of him, something he had always been missing without knowing. He just needed to figure out how to ignite those flames simmering inside.

* * *

The nurse twisted her left wrist. "Does that hurt?"

She tapped the mattress twice with her right hand.

"Good. What about this?" The woman lifted her elbow. Hikari tapped twice again.

"Very well. You're healing fast. After Recovery Girl is done with you, we should be able to put you on a liquid diet for a few days. If that works, you can be released." The young nurse was very friendly, her toothy grin had to be infectious to everyone. And yet, Hikari felt nothing. She simply watched the young woman collect her things.

"Please rest some more, Shikogane-san, Recovery Girl should arrive any moment. See you later."

The door shut and minutes passed. Hikari stared at the white wall in front of her. She didn't think. She didn't feel. There was nothing, just emptiness. She didn't know how much time passed, when the vibration of her phone shook the whole nightstand. The cracked screen lit up. At first, it had only been Momo and Midoriya who sent her texts. Kyouka followed, and soon half of the class was trying to reach her. And yet, Hikari didn't bother to check them out. She knew she should be feeling bad for ghosting them, but again, there was… Nothing. Even Recovery Girl gave up trying to get her to talk after a few minutes, and literally kissed her to sleep.

A click woke her the next time. The room was dark, but she could feel someone's presence. Steps approached, but the girl didn't care who it was. The nurse wouldn't be that sneaky, that was for sure. And if her brother came to finish the job, things would finally come to an end. Hikari expected everything but to hear the tired voice of her homeroom teacher, "Shikogane, wake up."

She was awake. She still couldn't answer, so she lifted one arm and let it plop back down on the mattress. Her whole body was sore again from Recovery Girl's treatment, her throat seemed to be on fire.

Aizawa switched the bedside lamp on. No matter how small it was, the light was still blinding. She whimpered. The teacher ignored her protest and sat down on the chair at the bedside. "Recovery Girl said you're still not talking."

The girl shot her teacher a glare between squinted eyelids.

"That's not what I meant. I know you can't verbally express yourself." He reached for the notebook lying underneath her phone and placed it not very gently on her chest. "Your class has been bothering me for two whole days. Text them back."

No reaction.

"Healing your physical injuries is one thing, but I can't and won't take you back to U.A. like this."

It was tiny. Nothing more than a grain of dust landing on her chest.

"Iida, Yaoyorozu and Midoriya told the class that Neo Kumo is after you," he informed her, "I can't say how much they really know so far."

A tiny pebble joined the grain of dust.

"I heard it was Midoriya's decision."

Another pebble joined the growing weight on her chest.

"Adding the little stunt you pulled earlier at remedial class, the police also might want to talk to you about your family sooner or later."

It had to be expected.

"Shikogane… What do _you_ want?"

That one came unexpected. The imaginary pebbles on her chest rolled down onto her stomach. It took her a few seconds to understand the implication behind his words. What _she_ wanted? No one had ever asked her that. Adults always told her what to do, they made decisions for her, no one ever took her own opinion into account. Not until Now. So… What did _she_ want?

Hikari didn't want anything. There was nothing. Why was he even asking her? Nothing mattered anyway. She didn't… She… She…

 _Neko_. She wanted to see Neko. Oh god, she missed her so much. She wanted to hear her best friend joke about the situation, finding a way to make everything look silly. She wanted Neko to put an arm around her shoulders, show her some dumb, over the top memes that made no sense, then explain how they were going to mess up something at Seishin again. But Neko wasn't here.

Maybe… Maybe she could get a hug from Midoriya instead. He was always so comfortably warm and gentle. Having him by her side would be nice. She also wanted Tsuyu to pat her head. She wanted to taste Momo's tea, hear Kyouka's wonderful singing, Ochako's, Mina's and Hagakure's cheery voices, she wanted to play Mario Kart with Kaminari and the boys again, bake sweets with Satou, pet some of Koda's rabbits, talk about cool new fighting techniques with Ojirou, listen to Tokoyami's spooky stories, she even wanted to hear one of Mineta's perverted comments so she could slap and yeet him across the common area...

The weight on her middle became unbearable. She didn't want to be alone. She wanted her friends, she wanted, she _needed…_

Hikari's hands shook. Her writing was almost illegible, but the teacher had seen worse:

 _I want to go home._

For the longest time, Aizawa didn't react. Finally, he got up and squeezed her shoulder before announcing, "I'll be back soon."

He didn't lie. Hikari silently thanked her headache for not letting her get back to sleep. Aizawa-sensei returned with a sports bag in one hand, suitcase in the other. He put both down and placed something light beside her right leg.

"You have to change. I can't get you out of here in a hospital gown."

Whatever weird feeling surfaced during their last conversation and subdued over the past hour, it came back full force. She couldn't explain it. Ignoring the tears stinging in her eyes, Hikari pushed herself up. She gathered the pile of clothing in her arms.

"I'll wait outside."

It took no less than three heroes to take her home. Slowly overcoming the emptiness inside her, Hikari was glad she couldn't talk. At least that's what she believed that feeling to be. Aside from Aizawa-sensei, Hound Dog and Midnight, both in civilian clothes, were there. Hikari didn't protest when the later placed an arm around her shoulders during the ride.

Back on the campus, 1-A's homeroom teacher tried to talk to her again. She clutched the notebook tightly to her chest but couldn't look him in the eyes. She felt ashamed for some reason. She could see him grow more frustrated with every attempt, but she simply couldn't answer. She couldn't think. Lastly, the two men left, leaving it to Midnight to bring her back to the dorm. The woman still had her arm draped around Hikari's shoulders. Luckily, the female hero didn't attempt to start a conversation. Not until she suddenly halted a few meters in front of the dorm.

"Looks like someone has been waiting for you."

Hikari lifted her heavy head to look at the teacher. She followed Midnight's gaze to the front stairs of the building. Someone sat there. The person got up and made his way towards them. At last, Hikari recognized the fluffy hair.

"Good night, Midoriya-kun. Isn't it past curfew?"

The boy flinched but couldn't tear his wide eyes off his friend. "I- I know…"

"Well," the Midnight removed her arm from Hikari's shoulders and placed a hand on the girl's back, "considering the circumstances, I think Aizawa doesn't need to know."

Midoriya blinked at the woman in surprise. She turned to Hikari, "Sleep and get some rest. Don't forget to pay Recovery Girl a visit first thing after you wake up."

Hikari couldn't even nod. Any fast or too extreme motion was painful. She just stared at the woman who softly pushed her forward.

"Goodnight, you two. And Midoriya, don't fall asleep during class tomorrow, or I'll get the blame."

"Y-yes, sensei!" he reassured the woman. Midnight gave Hikari's head one last pet before taking her leave.

A moment passed and neither of them moved. Hikari slowly turned to her friend. Midoriya stared at her. He looked awful. He was only in his pyjamas despite the cold, his hair was dishevelled, his mouth only a thin line and he had bags under his eyes.

Within the blink of an eye, he was in front of her. He wrapped his arms around her, clutched her to himself as if he was afraid someone would try to rip her from his grasp.

"I'm sorry, I'm so, so, sorry!" He whimpered in a teary voice. "Todoroki-kun told us… I was so worried, we're, all of us… I didn't know what else to do!"

Hikari was still numb. Everyone probably knew. They weren't stupid, and he told them enough. She couldn't even return the hug.

"Hi-Hikari…?" Midoriya let go and took a step back, his hands on her shoulders. The longer he looked at her, the more apparent the worry in his gaze became. He eyed her, every bit his eyes could identify in the dim light coming from the front gate of the dorm.

"Le-let's go ins-side, it's cold out here." His stuttering wasn't caused by the temperature, his quirk always kept him warm. Hikari identified herself as the cause, but there was still no clear reaction inside her. Midoriya guided her into the building. He slipped out of his sneakers and helped her out of the jacket. He didn't speak again, simply guided her up to her own room. Maybe he thought she was broken.

 _Maybe I am._

* * *

Izuku reluctantly crawled underneath his covers. No way he'd be able to sleep tonight. Nothing seemed to work out anymore. He had tried to light the flames again today, without success. He could feel them, and yet he wasn't able to activate them. It was frustrating. Only his short visit to Eri were a ray of hope, and that moment during homeroom when Aizawa-sensei had announced that Hikari would be released soon. He had crowed to soon.

She surely blamed him. He had betrayed her trust, something so feeble to begin with. Todoroki and Kacchan had known everything since after the attack, and Tokoyami had dropped some hints as well, something due to his internship with Hawks. No wonder she hadn't been reacting to him at all. Maybe he'd gone too far. Maybe she did hate him now.

There was a soft knock. The boy jumped to his feet and ripped the door open without hesitation. He couldn't exactly explain why, but he had already known it was her. Despite everything, there she was, head hanging low. She was wearing her pyjamas and he could see thick bandages wrapped around her neck, more peeking out from underneath the hem of her sleeves. Hikari lifted her head, her expression shattering his heart. Her eyes weren't dead like minutes ago, no, they were watery, so full of pain, helpless, scared… He wrapped her in another hug. This time, the gesture was returned. The girl began to quietly sob against his shoulder, her whole body shook despite the lack of sound. Izuku petted her head, drew soothing circles on her back. He couldn't imagine. Her mother might have been a villain, but she was still her mother, and from what he knew, she hadn't always been like this. In the end, she even sacrificed herself to save her daughter, even if it meant being slaughtered by her own son.

He didn't know how long they stood in the doorway until his friend calmed down. No words were spoken as he closed the door, guided her towards the bed where they lay down. He pulled the covers up and drew the girl towards his chest, wrapping her in another hug. She had done so much for him, now it was time to repay.

* * *

Getting back into the city was so easy, Dragon couldn't wait to see the faces of the heroes once he announced his return. They were still busy with reconstruction work, and many of the lower-class workers didn't think twice before taking the bribes. All those trucks loaded with his equipment and men and no one suspected a thing.

It was one of the older offices at the outskirts of town, close to the coast. The only tall building around, so he didn't have to worry about workers or flying heroes spotting him.

The villain traced the edge of the still empty desk, watching a seagull pass the large window. He loved the sight of the sea.

A knock on the doorframe caught his attention. He needed to get that door installed immediately.

"What is it, Shockwave?" He turned to his new right-hand man, or well, _woman_ , eyes narrowed. Disturbing his peace was unforgiveable.

"Coldhands returned from Hosu. The word is spreading. We should expect more recruits in a few days."

"Very well." Dragon closed the last few meters between him and the window. The sky was a clear, deep black with stars twinkling all around. It had to be colder than one was led to believe.

A whimper echoed through the still empty hallway outside. Dragon whirled around. "What was that?"

"It's, uhm," Shockwave averted her eyes, looking nervous, "it's Tomomo-kun, he brought you someone."

Right, the quirkless boy. He had become useless the moment Seishin Academy had been closed down, but Dragon had given another chance. Time to see whether it was worth it. "Bring them in."

The boy came in, wearing the gear Dragon had provided him; a padded jacket, pants and gloves, a staff was strapped to his back. The student had agreed without hesitation when the villain offered to send someone to train him. What the boy lacked by having no quirk, he made up for with his conviction. Like a lot of quirkless people did. Dragon liked that, and he grew to like that boy. He reminded him of what his son could have been, without the influence of those fake, rotten heroes.

Another whimper came from behind Tomomo. The ex Seishin student dragged in another boy by his collar. He was big, had no real chin, a bowl cut and seemed so terrified, there was no need for restrains. Bloody bruises were forming under his left eye and on his jawline.

"Evening, Dragon," Tomomo greeted his boss, earning a glare from Shockwave for his lack of respect. "I brought a recruit. I know he doesn't look like much, but I think he could be useful."

Dragon raised his brows.

"It was his research that tipped the heroes off back at the Overhaul situation. He's a formidable hacker, and previous attendee at Seishin."

"Step forward."

The big boy didn't move. Not until Tomomo pushed, sending him stumbling until he fell in front of Dragon's feet. The villain was all but impressed.

"Name?" Dragon demanded.

"Y-Yot-tsune. Y-yotsune M-maki."

"And you're here because…?"

"He thought it to be better spending his time hacking and playing video games than studying," Tomomo took over, "so he got no recommendation from Seishin and won't be accepted into any other school. At least not any he can go to. That weasel is terrified of quirks. It took a little beating, but he revealed to me that he wishes quirks would disappear from the world."

"Is that so?" Dragon narrowed his eyes at this Yotsune boy.

"It might even be more interesting for you to know that he sold out his own partners to a villain. He clearly has no backbone but with the right treatment, I'm sure his loyalty is an easy thing to ensure."

Dragon smiled. "Very well. Welcome, Yotsune Maki. From this day on, you'll be working for me."

* * *

 ** _A/N: Season 4 started an AHHHH who's as hyped as I am?_**  
 _Hope you enjoyed the hurt/comfort this chapter. And Dragon hasn't been slacking off as well. What could he be up to?_

 _Thank you for the follows and favourites, Grimlock987,arguably tepid coffee, emswritesalot, WolfFaunas3! And special thanks for the reviews!_

 _ **Midnight Angels Say:** Thanks for the comment! Those aren't going to be the last changes…_

 _ **guest:** Thank you, that's very thoughtful of you! Adding OCs to the canon cast is always risky, I'm glad you think so._


	42. live

**Chapter 42: live**

"Well… It's not that simple," Power Loader inspected his relatively new glove, "We have to know more about your quirk first. Heat resistant doesn't equal fireproof. As long as we don't have any data, it doesn't make sense to temper with your gear."

"Oh, I see." As hard as he tried, Izuku couldn't hide the disappointment in his voice.

"I know, this isn't what you'd like to hear, but you're welcome to return once you can ignite those flames, so we can run some tests. I'm sure Hatsume would love to work with you again!" Power Loader smiled behind his mask, but Izuku barely managed to return a grimace. He thanked the teacher and took his leave. Another dead end.

The boy sighed and rubbed his face. Why was it so hard? He could feel it inside, and yet he couldn't force the flames to come out, they were disobeying him- Or were they? Back when they first appeared, they had followed his hands' movements. He didn't order them to do that either, but they did-

Izuku stopped. What if they were not following his conscious, but his subconscious orders? He didn't think about letting his arms drop back then, they just did, because his subconscious ordered his muscles to react. What if all he needed was to train his subconscious? What if-

"Young Midoriya?"

With a yelp, Izuku whirled around, finding his mentor standing in the hallway. "A-A-All M-Might!"

"Were you looking for me? Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I- uhm, I was just…" This hallway seemed familiar. Without noticing, Izuku's feet had carried him over to the teacher's lounge. Talking about subconscious actions.

"All Might, I was wondering, uhm, if you have a minute?"

A bony hand was placed on his shoulder. "Of course, my boy."

It wasn't raining, but the howling of the wind sent shivers down his spine. Clouds raced across the sky at a seemingly unnatural speed. Most students walked the grounds with scarves wrapped around their necks, despite the small distance between the dorms and the school building.

"So, what can I help you with today?" All Might pulled him back to reality. Izuku tore his gaze from the window to look at his mentor.

"I… I'm not sure. Many things. I visited Power Loader, but he said there isn't anything he can do yet, and the next thing I remember was meeting you."

"I see, I'm sorry to hear that. But I'm sure we'll figure this out. Your progress with One for All has been impressive, I have no doubts it will be the same with your other quirk."

Izuku mimicked his teacher's smile, but it looked as shallow as it felt.

"Would you like something to drink? I don't have much, but I could offer you a glass of water or tea if you'd like something hot, it's getting pretty chilly outside."

"Water is fine," Izuku scratched the back of his head "I'm not really affected by the cold like the others."

"Of course! I'm sorry, I think I still haven't fully grasped the effects of your new power. I'll be back in a minute."

Izuku absent-mindedly watched All Might work. He was glad to have another minute to himself to collect his thoughts. Why did he come here? He parted his lips as soon as All Might returned, trying to put his feelings into words, "I guess I'm just… Incredibly frustrated. Every day I'm trying so hard, but it doesn't work. I feel like I've tried everything, but it's not- it's _not- it's not working_!" He usually wasn't short of words. "It's like I overthink but at the same time I can't think at all! It's like I'm, like I'm stuck but I don't know why...!"

"Young Midoriya, this isn't just about your quirk, is it?" The blue-eyed teacher saw right through his words.

"I… I… I can't help Eri. She's still so anxious and lost, she can't smile, All Might, she doesn't know _how_! Sir Nighteye, he… He died because I was weak, I made so many mistakes because I'm so inexperienced, he was right when he said I wasn't worthy of One for All, my actions only proved that… Togata-senpai lost his quirk and with that his dream and his future, Hikari has almost been killed four times since I know her and there was nothing I could do, my father is a villain and mass murderer, and I've got his quirk, a power I can't control, something that makes me even more unreliable, like, it could come out any moment and hurt the people around me, it makes me a liability instead of someone they can count on, how.. How can I be a hero _like this_?! How can I help anyone, save anyone, if I can't even help myself?!"

Arms wrapped around him, Izuku almost choked on his own words. He heaved. No, he wasn't alright. He deliberately sank deeper into All Might's embrace, trying to bury the tears running down his cheeks in the ex-hero's suit.

"It's alright, my boy," the adult whispered soothingly, "you might not be alright, but that's alright. You've been through too much for someone your age, and I did nothing but to burden you with even more."

Izuku shook his head. "N-no… I-if it wasn't for you, I-I don't k-know what would ha-have become of me…"

The retired Symbol of Peace began petting his unruly bush of hair. "It takes time to heal wounds, not just physically, mentally even more. Don't be so hard on yourself. Eri still has to get accustomed to her new surroundings, she has to learn that not everyone is out to hurt her. Once she understands, once she can feel loved, I'm sure you can show her the power of a smile."

"Like… Like you?"

All Might chuckled, "No, not like me. My smile isn't suited for this. It gave hope to those who lost it, but it can't bring out something that was never there before. You were the one to catch Eri, your hands are the ones that saved her. And you're the only one who can show her the true meaning of hope. You will be her hero."

He couldn't take it. Izuku sobbed even harder into his mentor's chest.

"What happened to Sir Nighteye and Togata is not on you. Those are the consequences of their own actions. Sir Nighteye knew how it would end, and yet it didn't stop him from walking that exact path."

"But-!"

"No buts, my boy! We know that Eri might be able to return young Togata's quirk, so not all hope is lost. He might need to catch up a little, but he will become a hero, that's what we have to believe in. It's what he himself believes in."

Deep down, Izuku knew his teacher was right. But there were too many doubts clouding his judgement.

"What happened to young Shikogane is terrible and unforgiveable. We all carry the weight of failing her. Just like all of us, you feel responsible, but in the end, it's her fight. And I think the only one who can truly put an end to this is she herself. All we can do is supporting her with everything we've got."

It still felt like it wasn't enough.

"Dragon… No one can deny what he's done and what he might still do. But knowing he fathered you doesn't change anything. You're still the same boy I met on that roof, the same boy who recklessly jumped in to save young Bakugou despite not having any kind of power, the same boy who reminded me what being a hero truly means. You young Midoriya," All Might's grip loosened, he pulled back and laid both his hands on Izuku's shoulders, looking at the boy with so much pride, "you're the one I chose. You're the one, the only one, I believe will succeed where I have failed. I needed many years to get where I was at my prime, I even left the country after my mentor died. You, my boy, you've had One for All for less than a year and look where you got. With just a few months of training you can keep up with people who had their quirks for their whole lives! Do you think any of them were as good with their powers after having them for a few months as they are now? Impatience isn't your friend, neither is overachieving, they hurt more than they do good."

New tears stung in Izuku's eyes. Could he ever live up to All Might's expectations? What if he never made it to the top? What if-

"Stop burdening yourself with all those expectations and responsibilities. First and foremost, you're a student. You're sixteen, young Midoriya. What you should worry about are your grades, which movie you're going to watch with your friends at the theatre, whether your mom would let you go out that late, your first crush, I don't know, mundane things young teenagers experience these days. You shouldn't have to worry about the end of the world."

"But... All Might... Did _you_ have the chance to worry about those things?"

A sad smile appeared on the teacher's face. "I have to admit, many of those were taken from me as well. But that doesn't mean you should walk that same path. If anything, all I wish for you is to be happy, despite the burden of One for All. I want you to live your life to the fullest. Don't repeat my mistakes. Live, young Midoriya, live. You deserve that, more than anyone else."

* * *

Her knuckles connected with the trunk, ripping a chunk of bark off the tree. Pain flared up, but she couldn't care less.

 _Dammit._

Aizawa let her attend school again today. Not because she made any meaningful progress, she still refused to talk, but because he was afraid she would miss too much. With all the lessons she had missed so far, it was a miracle they weren't forcing her to repeat the first school year.

Hikari hit the tree again with her other fist. The pain was almost soothing.

Classes might be fine, but the teacher refused to carry on with her training. No extra class, no sparing with Shinsou, no remedial class. The licence exam was in about a month, if they didn't let her attend now, she had no chance of passing. She would have to wait another year for the next official exam. A whole year, lost, a year behind her classmates.

Her shin crashed into the tree. She almost screamed.

All Might, Todoroki and Bakugou had been hurt, probably some innocent civilians as well. Her mother… Mom died. She was murdered. Kureshi killed her. And Hikari hadn't been able to help any of them. She was _useless_.

The sole of her foot slipped on the bark, she lost balance and crashed into the cold, moss covered ground. Sharp gravel dug into her back. The girl pushed herself up, clenched her fists and punched once more.

She was angry, so incredibly angry. Angry at everyone and everything, but mostly at herself. She was weak. She was a burden. She only brought bad luck to everyone around her. It would be better if people stopped trying to get close to her, they should just stand back and ignore her. Hikari was better off on her own anyway. No one had ever saved her. She always had to save herself. The incident with Dragon, Onderon, Seishin, the day she fled from her family, it was all on her own merits.

 _That's not true._

Hikari shook her head, punched the tree with her left, then her right, repeated with her legs until the pain was strong enough to drive the voice away. She didn't need anything or anyone. The only thing she needed was to get stronger, so she could put an end to this. But how? How could she beat someone even the pros failed to catch? Someone who effortlessly trampled down everything in his path? They had the same quirk, Hikari even possessed something more than him, but she still couldn't-

Wait.

They possessed the same quirk. The same power. A power he had been harvesting for most of his life, something he mastered so well no one could keep up, even their mother. So, technically, if she trained as hard as him for as long as he did, shouldn't she be able to do the same things?

Her bloody knuckles stopped only a palm before the three's naked surface.

 _That's it._

She didn't have the luxury to train for seventeen years, and he was getting better by the minute as well. Which meant she had to train harder, longer, more than he ever did. All the groundwork was there, she just had to make use of it. And she already knew how.

Having snuck past her classmates, Hikari washed the dried blood off her hands. She quickly wrapped some bandages across the raw flesh and rushed into her room. The drawer full of notebooks her classmates got her, since she mainly communicated by writing her answers down at the moment, was soon emptied on her desk. There was a baby blue one with cute white bunny heads wearing a big pink bow she got from Hagakure. It was perfect. Perfectly inconspicuous. Hikari impatiently tapped on her desk, waiting for her laptop to boot. She ignored the article about the quirkless-incidents on the front page of the hero news website and went straight to the video archive. Three dozen videos popped up after she typed in her search. That wasn't enough, but it was a start.

If she wanted to beat her brother, she needed to know him. She needed to know what he was thinking, how he was fighting. If she knew his moves, she knew how to counter them. And maybe, just maybe, she could copy and improve some of them. If they made him strong, they could make her even stronger.

* * *

Izuku wandered up the stairs, tray full of food in his hands. It was a lot more than even he could eat, but they all knew Hikari needed that much to sustain her quirk.

She hadn't come down for dinner again. The class had decided to let her be, maybe she needed time to herself, after all, her mother died. Izuku didn't agree. If something happened to his mother, he would want everything but to be left alone with his dark, self-deprecating thoughts. He and Hikari were a lot alike in that sense.

The boy reached his destination on the top floor. He hesitated before knocking. "Hikari? It's me, Midoriya. We left you some food and I thought I'd bring it up. Can I come in?"

He was met by silence.

"Hikari?" He waited some more. The light behind the curtains in her room had been on when he returned just before dinner, so she was either home or pretended to be. Not liking the later, Izuku moved.

"I'm coming in, okay?"

He pressed the handle down with his elbow. The light was still on and he found his friend sitting at the desk, head resting on the table. He froze but breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he saw the steady rising of her shoulders. She must have fallen asleep. Izuku closed the distance between them and carefully placed the tray on the empty space on her desk. The food was already cold, so it didn't matter if she would eat it after waking up.

Her face looked peaceful. It only ever did when she was asleep, unplagued by nightmares. Izuku brushed a stray strand of hair hanging into her face behind her ear. The tip seemed cold. Not wasting a second thought the next symbol of peace got the fluffy blanket from the foot of her bed and draped it over her shoulders. She didn't even shift. She had to be exhausted.

A smile found a way on his lips, but it was short-lived. Her hands were bandaged, he could see red glowing scrapes poking out beneath the hem of her sleeves. They hadn't been there that morning. A pencil was loosely hanging in her right, the spidery handwriting underneath almost illegible. Izuku squinted his eyes.

 _Always up, never ducks._

There was more behind her hand.

… _hammering into cement, too destructive → using phoenix particles instead?_

… _lower four legs to suspend, upper two for attacks, middle for shield…_

What on earth were those? They almost looked like his notes on heroes… He gulped. Something was wrong. He couldn't read more without having to move her, and he couldn't do that. Something blinked in the corner of his eyes. Izuku lifted his head to find the laptop still being on, only the screen was off. He reached out, fingers hovering above the mouse pad. He shouldn't. This was her privacy, he had no right to invade, and yet he couldn't leave it at that when there was definitely something shady going on. Izuku glimpsed at his sleeping friend and mentally apologized. His fingers touched the pad and a black video screen light up. There was… A video?

He clicked on the replay button.

* * *

It was Hikari's turn taking out the trash. Despite avoiding everyone, she was still set on following her responsibilities. Small clouds formed in front of her mouth as she huffed while placing the trash bag down. For some reason, breathing the icing cold air was calming.

"Hikari… Do you have a minute?" So much for a calm moment. Hikari turned around and hugged herself. The cold was slowly getting to her. It was only supposed to take a minute, so she didn't think or bringing her jacked.

Midoriya stood in safe distance, hand in the pockets of his trainers. His sleeves were rolled up. Right, he didn't feel the cold anymore. Hikari tilted her head, almost jealous.

"I… I saw your research."

She had wondered who brought up food last night, even more so after no one had mentioned anything in the morning. Of course, it had been him. It was always him. She began to wonder if they shared some kind of destiny, although she didn't believe in any of that esoteric crap.

"I'm… I honestly don't really know what to say about it... "

 _Then don't,_ she wanted to retort but couldn't. Hikari dug her nails into her sides. She should thank him for what he had done the night she came back, but she was too stirred up that he actually looked at her work without permission to react accordingly. Instead, she passed him without a word.

"Hi-Hikari! Wait!"

She marched on. She didn't need any of that nonsense now- Fingers wrapped around her upper arm and she was pulled back. Too surprised she wasn't able to counter. Midoriya never got physically, not like this.

"Have you ever considered that maybe your actions hurt the people around you?"

Hikari could only stare. What did he…?

"I care about you, a lot, and seeing you closing yourself off… You're in a bad place, I understand that, but it's not going to get better like this! Seeing you hurt yourself hurts me too, and not just me, people like Yaoyorozu and Jirou, too! Have you any idea how worried they are, knowing that a villain literally wants to kill you? You've been kidnapped, your mother has been killed, and you're just trying to pass it off as if it means nothing to you!"

She… She couldn't deny it. But what confused her more was the way Midoriya was acting, so out of character. Although she didn't understand why, she could see that he was hurting. Something must have happened, it wasn't just her behaviour, but this seemed to be the only window for Midoriya to vent. He was going through hard times himself, and she made it only worse. Guilt stabbed her. She wasn't being fair to him. He deserved better.

Hikari removed his fingers from her upper arm and Midoriya took a step back, apparently shocked, "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to grab you that hard-"

The girl sandwiched his hand between her palms. It was pleasantly warm. She wasn't being fair to her friends, she realized that. Being close to her hurt them but pushing them away was just as bad. It was a mess, she was a mess, everything was a mess. She didn't know what to do anymore.

"Uhm, Hikari? What… What are you doing?"

She didn't know. Even if she could talk, she wouldn't know what to say. She squeezed his hand even harder, pressed it to her front and took a deep breath.

"H… Ih.. mso… rry-" The scratching became unbearable. The girl fell into a coughing fit, her throat was on fire, she buckled down and would have fallen to her knees if Midoriya didn't catch her.

"Please don't overexert yourself! Don't talk!"

It wasn't right. Recovery Girl said she should be able to do some basic vocal exercises, so why did talking hurt so much? She had refused until now, without knowing how it would feel, but if it was going to be like this…

"It's alright," Midoriya panicked, "I'm sorry, too, I shouldn't have leashed out like that!"

Hikari threw herself around his neck. She was still gasping, barely getting enough oxygen, but she wasn't coughing anymore. She wanted this to stop. For a single minute, she wanted to live without pain. She didn't want to worry about her family, for her friends, about anything, really. Was that too much to ask?

Midoriya held her up, making sure she wasn't going to buckle in. He didn't add anything until she calmed down somewhat.

"I'm sorry… I guess I'm just as confused as you are. We're a mess, aren't we?"

Hikari, unable to answer, clenched the fabric of his trainer in her fists.

"We should get inside," Midoriya suggested, "you're getting cold."

She nodded against his shoulder.

"Should I ask Yaoyorozu to make you a tea? She surely knows a formula that will help your throat."

She nodded again. She didn't deserve his kindness, not anyone's. And yet they were there. Always supporting her, always looking out for her, and it made her heart ache. She was being a selfish asshole, she always had been.

The first person they ran into was Ochako. The bubbly heroine threw them an irritated look after realizing Izuku was supporting Hikari, but then approached, "Hey! You were gone quite a while, I was… Hikari-chan, are you okay? You look pale."

She was feeling pretty horrible. Midoriya came to her aid, "She had a really bad coughing fit outside, it looked very painful."

"Eh?" Ochako seemed genuinely worried. "That's not good! Come on, I'm sure we'll have something in the first aid box!" With that, she grabbed Hikari by the hand and led her further inside. Before the teens knew what was happening, Iida stood in front of the table they sat at, reading through every single patient information leaflet, warning them about the side effects of every pill, while Momo came rushing down the stairs and prepared the promised tea. Tsuyu, who had stood just behind Ochako, sat down at Hikari's left, asking if there was anything she could do. Hikari slowly shook her head. They were being so nice.

Her neck itched. It had been doing so the whole day. While everyone seemed preoccupied with finding something to help her aching throat, Hikari undid the clasp holding her bandages together. She began to free herself off the white cloth, enjoying the sensation of air against the sensitive skin. Tsuyu's attentive eyes soon followed her every movement. Hikari blinked at the frog girl, silently asking for judgement. Tsuyu understood. "You haven't seen it yet, kero?"

Hikari slowly shook her head.

"If you ask me, it doesn't look too bad. There's just two thin white lines. If they fade with time, it might even be invisible on first glance, kero."

Those were surprisingly good news. Hikari flinched as her fingers came into touch with the new scar, but she nevertheless traced the marks. Tsuyu was telling the truth, they felt thin and a lot flatter than all her other scars.

"That's wonderful news!" Momo placed a tray with cups and a teapot on the table. Her smile was sincere, full of warmth and kindness.

Then it all became too much. Hikari couldn't tell what exactly the cause was, but she couldn't take it anymore. She buried her face in her hands, trying to hide the silent tears streaming down her face. Ochako cried out, alerting the room.

She couldn't do this anymore. She didn't want to be confused anymore.

Hikari frantically threw her head around, looking for something, _anything_ -

A phone with an opened memo app was held in front of her. She reached out, not caring who it belonged to. Hardly able to see anything through the tear clouded vision, she typed, _I need to tell you something._

Everyone fell silent. Hikari was torn, she wanted to, she needed to tell them, but her fingers wouldn't move. It wasn't until a rough hand was placed on her arm and she found soft, green eyes looking at her, that the simple sentence came to life.

 _Neo Kumo is my brother._

No reaction.

 _He wants to kill me because he thinks I betrayed them by not becoming a villain and helping them._

Half of those present already knew, so she should have expected as much. And yet, her fingers typed on, on their own.

 _I don't want him to hurt you, too. If he knows that I care about you, he's going to hurt you, just to hurt me, and I can't-_

She didn't get any further. Arms wrapped around her, both from the left and the right. She heard Ochako's teary voice whimper in her ear, "Why… Why didn't you tell us?! I can't… We saw how hard it was for Deku-kun…"

"Some of us figured it was something like this after what happened, kero," Tsuyu admitted, also in tears, "and I won't deny that I'm hurt you didn't trust us enough to tell the truth."

She had all the reasons to blame Hikari. And yet…

"But I'm glad you finally opened up. We're your friends, and friends trust each other, kero."

* * *

 _ **A/N:**_

 _ **Ahh I'm sorry for the long wait, life had me like aopwertpawertgäkafdglaido4**_

 _ **Anyway, here's a new chapter!**_

 _ **Thanks for the reviews, DragonshadowRyukage, I'm so happy to hear from you. Just knowing that you're still here reading means so much to me, don't worry about anything else! And also thanks so much for the follows action.1.9.1999, SilveredSoul, reaper8121 and Re66! Welcome to this ride, I hope you're having a lot of feelings and fun and will stay until the end! (Which is not that for around. I finally managed to write down the content chapter by chapter, so long pauses like this should be avoidable in the future. And if everything goes according to plan, there will be 62 chapters.)**_


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